


Three Million Years

by LGCoffeeAddict



Category: NCIS: New Orleans
Genre: F/F, Romance, Undercover as a Couple, accelerated slow burn bc i am impatient, domestic hannah and tammy, getting a little spicier now that things are underway, hopefully more spicy khourgorio too but rn it's a lot of domestic, rating changed but like only soft M rating, unapologetic undercover fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2020-11-08 02:07:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20827619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LGCoffeeAddict/pseuds/LGCoffeeAddict
Summary: "Hannah, looking for all the world as if she belonged at the upscale charity event in her clearly designer suit, flagged down a server for a glass of champagne. Her hand slipped a little so that she was rubbing the small of Tammy’s back to wake her up and get her back in the game."In which a routine undercover op for Tammy ends up with her pretending to be engaged to her boss.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at a multi-chap fic for Khourgorio, and also first time I've actually written a fic for a procedural that's actually centered around a case. We'll see how this goes! Enjoy =]

Tammy thanked the bartender for her gin and tonic, leaving a dollar in the tip jar as she cautiously peeked through her hair at the couple at the high-top table behind her. The woman was effortlessly beautiful, probably around the same age as her, with sun-kissed skin and golden hair she wore in a purposefully messy fishtail braid. She had a ready smile and kept herself nestled in the embrace of her husband. He was tall, square-jawed, with a jovial expression on his face that never quite reached his eyes. He was proud, Tammy thought. He felt like he owned everything in sight, and if he didn’t, he could make it so without even trying. 

He reminded Tammy of her ex-husband. She couldn’t put her finger on who the woman reminded her of, but she knew she’d be her best bet at getting her in.

* * *

_ “Jennifer and Edgar Covington run the two branches of the Covington Kitchenware company,” Sebastian said, enlarging the image of a newspaper clipping showing the couple at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “They are one of the biggest manufacturers and distributors of kitchen appliances in the Southeast. She handles the PR and charitable foundation branch, and he handles the manufacturing side of things. They’re known to have a close circle of friends they maintain through the charitable foundation, which has been rumored to be funding a major weapons dealer in New Orleans.” _

_ “We think our UA sailor got tied up in trying to track these weapons down.” LaSalle took the remote from Sebastian and brought up a cargo list. “Turns out, a box of semi-automatic rifles went missing from the ship Jackson was stationed on.” _

_ Hannah nodded, crossing her arms. “We find those weapons, we find Jackson.” She looked around at her team. “But we have no proof Jackson was even aware of the Covingtons’ circle, and we can’t go at them as feds or they’ll just close ranks.” _

_ “Not to mention, if Jackson’s still alive and they know about him, us going in could potentially endanger him even more,” Sebastian agreed. _

_ “So we don’t go as feds,” Tammy said. All heads turned toward her. “I can go in undercover as a potential charitable investor, get in with their circle and track the weapons from there.” _

* * *

“I have eyes on the Covingtons,” Tammy whispered into her drink as she adjusted her dress. She felt like a doll in her light blue high-necked number, her hair straightened and pinned back like she was back in catholic school. Hopefully she didn’t appear as awkward as she felt. “They’re chatting with someone, looks like a member of the press.”

_ “Great, Gregorio, try to see if you can get anyone to give you more insight on how to get close to them,” _Hannah’s low voice came through her earpiece. 

“Ugh, if I’d known this was going to involve _ mingling _maybe I wouldn’t have volunteered to do this,” she muttered under her breath, earning a soft laugh in her ear. 

_ “We appreciate your sacrifice, Gregorio, now get to mingling.” _

* * *

Hannah stretched back in her seat and ran a hand through her hair while the dull chatter of the event rang through the van’s speakers. 

“Why do you look so nice?” Patton glanced over at Hannah’s discarded stilettos sitting next to her. 

Sighing, she unbuttoned the wine-colored blazer of her suit and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. “I had a parent-teacher conference at Naomi’s school, and Ryan had to give them a cover story about where I was when I was still overseas. He told them I was a lawyer for this big firm that kept me busy all the time.” She plucked at some imaginary lint on her leg. “So I have to do some wardrobe upgrades to keep up that little charade whenever I’m at her school.” 

Patton nodded as he turned back to the security feed. “Must be tough having to live a cover with your daughter.”

“Naomi’s great about it, she loves this stuff,” Hannah laughed. “She’s wanted me to teach her spycraft since she was four.” Shaking her head, she looked up at the screen showing Tammy talking to one of the partygoers. “I don’t know what I did to get such an understanding kid.”

“She had an understanding mom, probably,” Patton said, shooting a glance back at his boss in time to see Hannah’s grateful smile.

Tammy’s voice interrupted them. _ “Hey guys, it sounds like the Covingtons are all about diversity hires in their circle of friends.” _

“Diversity hires?” Hannah asked.

_ “They like to look as open-minded as possible, so they invite people with some sort of marketable cause to be part of their special board for the foundation. They’ve already got women on the board, so I’m not really gonna fill that void.” _

“So you need a way to stand out as someone they can appear to be advocates for,” Patton surmised. “Hell, I shoulda gone in. I’d have gotten to those weapons in three seconds flat.”

Hannah looked down at her outfit again, considering. “I have an idea,” she told Tammy. She grabbed a spare earpiece from Patton’s desk and started to put her shoes back on. Looking at the screen, she saw Jennifer Covington approaching Tammy. “Stall her.” Shifting her gaze to Patton, she gave him a quick nod before turning to open the back door of the van. 

* * *

“I don’t believe we’ve met yet, I’m Jennie Covington.” Tammy turned around to see Jennie, whose blue eyes crinkled ever so slightly with her smile, offering her hand. 

Tammy plastered on a grin of her own, shaking the other woman’s hand. “Tammy Russo, nice to meet you. This is quite the fundraiser you’ve put on.”

“Oh, thank you.” Jennie took a flute of champagne off one of the servers’ trays. “It really is such a pleasure to have my job be such a passion in my life.”

“I’m sure it is, and it is such a wonderful charity you’re donating to,” Tammy said over her drink. The woman’s blindingly bright diamond necklace probably could have funded a whole charity unto itself. “Helping restore Clearwater after all that unpleasantness I heard about with the former mayor?”

“Are you new to New Orleans?” 

“Just moved here a few months ago from New York.” 

Jennie gasped, “Oh, I absolutely love New York. Every time I go there, I never want to leave.”

“It was definitely hard to let go of,” Tammy agreed, wondering when Hannah was going to tell her what the hell she was stalling for.

“So what made you come down to New Orleans? Must have been a big change for you,” Jennie said as she took a sip of her champagne.

Before Tammy could answer, she heard Hannah’s slightly harried voice behind her. “There you are!” Tammy turned around to see Hannah in a tailored wine-colored suit and heels making her way toward them. “So sorry I’m late, babe. The office was just such a mess today.” Before Tammy could even register what was happening, Hannah snaked her hand around to the small of her back and deposited a quick kiss on her cheek. Stunned, Tammy watched as her boss straightened up, flipped her short curls back, and flashed a dazzling smile at Jennie, all the while keeping her arm around Tammy’s waist. “Sorry for the interruption. I’m Hannah Shahi, Tammy’s fiancée.”

_ Tammy’s fiancée_. Her boss. Just kissed her and was now pretending to… _ Tammy, you’re an _ idiot_. _This was their in. She wanted to kick herself, but there was no time. Jennie’s face lit up as soon as Hannah introduced herself. She saw the wheels turning behind her eyes. Tammy had just gone from being mildly intriguing as a stranger to a person worth knowing. 

“My, my, it sure is lovely to meet you, Hannah,” Jennie said, beaming. “What are you coming from?”

Hannah, looking for all the world as if she belonged at the upscale charity event in her _ clearly _designer suit, flagged down a server for a glass of champagne. Her hand slipped a little so that she was rubbing the small of Tammy’s back to wake her up and get her back in the game. “Work.” She took a sip and shrugged. “I’m a lawyer, just moved to this new office and it’s still such chaos.”

“Ah, yes, Tammy here was just telling me how she just moved from New York.” 

Hannah laughed, completely at ease whereas Tammy was still all too focused on her hand on her back. “She demanded to move down with me when they offered me this position,” she said, turning to look at her partner. Tammy looked up and saw Hannah’s dark eyes and soft smile—and was finally able to relax.

“I mean, what was I doing up there anyway that I couldn’t do down here?” She reached behind her to the hand on her back and wrapped it completely around her waist, pulling Hannah closer. “I made a promise, didn’t I?”

“Not yet, you haven’t.” A smirk flitted across her boss’s face. She was clearly enjoying this. 

Jennie cleared her throat, breaking the moment. She raised her glass to acknowledge someone behind them. “Well, I hope you find as loving a home here as I have. I must go and finish greeting everyone, but I _ do _hope to run into you both again soon.”

“Of course,” Tammy said. She let go of Hannah’s hand and stepped forward to grasp Jennie’s. “It was so lovely to meet you, Mrs. Covington.”

“Oh, please call me Jennie.” She leaned forward and gave a quick cheek air kiss to both of them. “Pleasure to meet you both. I’ll see you soon.”

As soon as Jennie left earshot, Tammy rounded on Hannah. “What the hell was that?”

Hannah cocked her head to the side, watching as Jennie walked almost directly toward her husband. “_That _was our way into their circle.”

Tammy couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I’m aware of _ that _. A little bit of warning woulda been nice.” It wasn’t every day that her boss was pressed up against her like that. Not that Tammy was bothered by it. At all. 

“There wasn’t really much time.” Jennie pointed the couple out to her husband, and Hannah sent a nod and a small wave their way. “I don’t know that me saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to walk in and pretend to be your lover in about 15 seconds so act natural,’ would have made much of a difference.”

_ Fair_, Tammy thought begrudgingly as she shrugged in acceptance. _ I don’t think any amount of warning could have prepared me for that_. _ I guess this means I’m engaged to my boss_ _now_. She felt a knot twist in her stomach.

Things were about to get a lot more complicated.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also CLEARLY I started writing this before season 6 premiered so let's just live in that pre-season time here.

Finally home, Hannah kicked off her heels with a wince. She heard Tammy close the door behind her, but Hannah was too focused on shuffling to the couch to get weight off her messed up arches. They’d decided before they left the event—and after a sizeable donation—it would look suspicious if they left separately. 

_ Not that it really required her to stay the night here_, Hannah mused to herself. _ But her logic about invitations showing up and Sebastian answering the door sounded convincing at the time_.

Patton, being Patton, already perfectly concocted her online cover, including making it appear that Hannah Shahi, divorce lawyer to the rich and influential, owned this house and was not the leader of the NCIS New Orleans field office. If the Covingtons were eager enough to reach out after the first meeting—although Hannah doubted they would be—they’d know where to find them. 

“Baby, you here?” she called out as she entered the living room. 

Naomi sat curled up on the recliner playing Fortnite, school having been canceled for the student-teacher conferences. She looked up and her face broke into a bright smile that always warmed Hannah’s heart. “Mom, you’re home!” She scrambled up to give her a hug, still not used to seeing her mother every day anymore. 

Hannah laughed and hugged her daughter back as tight as she could. Every day she was unbelievably grateful she’d been given a second chance to be there for her. “Hi, baby.”

An uncomfortable cough sounded from the entrance to the living room. Naomi tugged her head out of the embrace and looked around Hannah to see Tammy hovering at the threshold. “Hi, Tammy! What are you doing here?” she asked as she left her mom to hug Tammy hello. 

“Sweetie, Tammy and I are working undercover together,” Hannah said, watching the usually brusque Gregorio soften instantly when Naomi greeted her, “so she’s gonna be staying here for a little while.”

“Cool!” Naomi quickly returned to her mom’s side. Her face fell a little once she registered the implications of that. “Does that mean I have to stay with Dad?”

Her big eyes couldn’t hide the disappointment swimming in them. Hannah stroked her head and brought her in so she could kiss her hair. “Not tonight, baby, don’t worry. But your dad’s got you for the next week, anyway, and it’s probably safer for you to stay with him while the case is open.” She felt and heard her daughter heave a big sigh. “And hey, you love your dad, don’t forget that.”

“Of course, I love Dad,” Naomi agreed before continuing in almost a whisper. “I just don’t like that staying with him means I don’t see you. I miss when we all lived together.”

Hannah’s heart broke a little at the sadness in her daughter’s voice. She missed that time, too. But Ryan made it clear they were just going to focus on Naomi for now. Her wrecked marriage was going to stay that way for the time being. “How about you get your pajamas on, and you, me and Tammy can have a girls’ night?”

She could practically hear Tammy’s involuntary cringe, but Naomi’s tone lifted once again. “With popcorn and s’mores?”

“Of course! Now go get changed.” The 10-year-old bounded off to her bedroom, suddenly back to her previous excitement. Hannah’s eyes fell on her agent. “Relax, Gregorio, we just watch movies and eat junk food.”

Tammy instantly unwound. “That I can do,” she said with a smile. She made a move to what she assumed was the kitchen. “Need some help with the popcorn?”

* * *

The early morning sunlight nudged open Tammy’s eyelids and she looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling. She could hear someone downstairs in the kitchen, most likely Hannah getting her daughter ready for school. She peered around the guest room. The tall, arched windows flooded the space with natural light, bookended by semi-sheer white curtains. The lavender walls complemented the vanity, painted white with an antique music box and a framed photo of what she assumed was Hannah’s back as she hiked a breathtaking mountain range. 

_ Not a lot of personal touches_, Tammy noted, the profiler in her kicking in. _ Probably a leftover habit from her covert ops days. _

She caught a glance of herself in the mirror, her messy curls cascading over her borrowed sweats, and deemed herself acceptable enough to head downstairs. 

“Morning,” she murmured in greeting, fighting a yawn. 

Hannah looked up from where she stood at the stove scrambling eggs and smiled. “Good morning.” The woman wore no makeup and a fitted t-shirt over loose capri sweatpants, and she was still stunning. Tammy wasn’t sure how she accomplished that. She always looked like a hungover teenager when she woke up. “Breakfast?”

“Thanks.” Tammy sat at the table and picked at the bowl of cut fruit sitting in front of her while Hannah turned off the gas and scooped the eggs onto the two waiting plates on the counter. “Where’s Naomi?”

Grabbing a few pieces of toast and adding them to the eggs, Hannah brought the plates over to the table. “Still asleep. She waits until the last possible second to get up for school.” She glanced at the clock on the microwave, which flashed 6:38. “I’ll give her another twenty minutes before I wake her up. How’d you sleep?”

“Really well,” Tammy said. She sent Hannah a grateful smile when she deposited a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. “Although, I gotta say it was a little weird sleeping in my boss’s house.”

Hannah laughed, finally sitting down with her at the table and taking a sip of her own coffee. “Yeah, I can’t say I’ve ever gotten myself into this kind of situation before.”

“Not even when you were a covert agent?”

She shook her head and looked up from her plate at the ceiling. “I was deep cover, but usually as an analyst or something in business that would be easy access for our targets to make contact. The nature of those missions didn’t really require I fabricate a personal life other than on paper.” Tammy could have sworn Hannah’s cheeks became ever so slightly tinged with pink as her gaze shifted back down to her face. “I know it was unexpected and there wasn’t time to ask if you were okay with it…I just didn’t want us to lose their interest if we didn’t bring in something to tempt their PR spin.”

“Yeah, a well-to-do interracial lesbian couple probably did the trick,” Tammy said wryly. “Not sure how I feel about using my sexuality to check off a box on their list, but if it gets the job done, I guess it’s worth it.”

Hannah reached forward and placed her hand on Tammy’s, her eyes wide with concern. “If this makes you uncomfortable, we can find a different way.”

Tammy’s lips twitched upward at her boss’s sensitivity. “No worries. I’m glad you thought of it. Everyone’s so chill about my being gay that I genuinely forgot it was worth a comment for a little while.”

“I mean, it really shouldn’t be,” Hannah grumbled. 

“Amen to that.” They bumped coffee mugs in solidarity and dug into their breakfast. 

* * *

“Any luck with figuring out how Jackson got clued into the weapons shipment?” Hannah asked as she and Tammy walked into the field office, coffee carrier in hand.

Sebastian shook his head while accepting the chicory brew Tammy extended. “No one in his unit knew anything about the missing shipment, and his financials are a no-go as well.”

LaSalle stood up from his desk holding a small package. “We’re still trying to track down his old girlfriend to see if she had any contact with him before he went UA, but in the meantime, I got a present for you out of evidence.” He tossed the box to Hannah and grabbed his coffee from Tammy, who placed the remaining one on the table for Patton. 

Opening the box, Hannah took out a sparkling diamond engagement ring. Tammy glanced at it and whistled. “Damn, I’ve got good taste.”

“Expensive taste,” Hannah said. She slipped the silver band onto her finger and examined it. The princess-cut center stone shone brilliantly, and it was bordered by several smaller diamonds. It felt odd to have weight on that hand again. It’d been over two years since she last wore anything there. 

“Any idea when or where we’re gonna show that rock off?” Tammy asked. “Sounds like getting in with Jennie is gonna be our best lead.”

Patton wheeled himself in from his workroom. “Triple-P’s got you covered.” He turned to face the screen and typed on the keypad attached to his chair. “I’ve been digging through Jennie Covington's financials, and her personal financials are squeaky clean. No payments or deposits out of place. But she _ does _go to this one coffee shop almost every day around 2 o’clock for an afternoon pick-me-up, perfect place for a run-in.”

Hannah smirked at the woman next to her. “Feel like going on a coffee date?”

* * *

“Couldn’t there have been more pants in my cover’s wardrobe?” Tammy muttered into her cappuccino. She kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, uncomfortable in her bright sundress. At least she had a cardigan on, so she felt slightly less naked. Just slightly.

Hannah sent her a sympathetic smile, which Tammy had a hard time accepting when _ she _got to wear another designer suit. This one was black with pinstripes, with a pop of color from her pink blouse underneath. Her short dark brown curls were deliberately styled so that they brushed the top of her shoulders instead of hanging in her usual thick waves, which, while still pretty, weren’t quite as polished as they were today. “You look beautiful, Tammy,” she reassured. 

“Listen, I know I look good.” Tammy fought the urge to blush at her words, choosing instead to scan the café for Jennie. “I just feel so—I don’t know—_ exposed _and like I won’t be taken seriously in this dress.”

“I can’t say I haven’t felt like that from time to time.” Hannah nodded in understanding. “But you need to be taken seriously as a philanthropist, and this will help with that.” Her hand made its way to Tammy’s again, squeezing slightly as she leaned forward and whispered, “And you’re still a badass, dress or not.”

Normally, Tammy would bristle at being patronized…but Hannah sounded genuine. Maybe that was why she felt her shoulders relax. “At least if we have to chase anyone I can still run in my shoes, Miss Stiletto,” she teased, tapping Hannah’s heeled foot under the table with her flats. 

A warm laugh bubbled out of Hannah, who returned the tap with her toe. “See? Total badass.”

“Tammy Russo, is that you?” Tammy looked past Hannah to see Jennie Covington standing there, leaning to the side as she held her Birkin bag in front of her. 

“Jennie, hi!” Tammy called out in measured surprise, waving her over. “So nice to see you again.”

Jennie made her way to their table. She happily hugged Tammy in greeting despite only having met her a day ago, and she rubbed Hannah’s back familiarly. “Hi, Hannah, right?”

Hannah looked up from her seated position with all the confidence of yesterday and nodded. “What a lovely coincidence,” she said. “Here, join us.” She gestured to the empty chair at the adjacent table.

“Oh, I can’t stay, I just dropped in for my afternoon jolt,” Jennie declined, waving the crumpled receipt she held in her hand. “They have the best chai lattes in the neighborhood.”

“Mm, you’re not lying,” Hannah agreed after she took a sip of her own drink. “I just left a client meeting and he suggested this place when I mentioned I’d be meeting Tammy.”

Tammy let her eyes meet Hannah’s for the clearly cued _ loving look_. Hannah really did have exceptionally expressive eyes. 

“You never did tell me what type of law you practiced.”

“A little bit of everything,” Tammy chimed in proudly, her gaze not leaving Hannah’s face. It was absolutely fascinating to see her usually reserved boss be so charismatic and comfortable undercover. _ She did this for years, don’t forget that. _

Hannah laughed, “Divorce law mainly, but there’s a lot of overlap with other fields, so I’d make a great tax attorney in a pinch.” 

“That must keep your hands full. I can’t imagine all the mess you have to wade through for divorce.” Jennie shuddered, her wedding band and engagement ring glittering on her left hand as if to ward off even the thought of divorce. She noticed Hannah’s own glistening diamond as the agent tucked her hair back. “And still getting married despite that.”

This time Tammy initiated the contact, taking hold of the hand she’d let go of when she hugged Jennie with both of hers. “That’s why it’ll work with us. Eyes wide open, right, babe?”

Hannah’s face softened as she took in her partner. “Eyes wide open.”

“Chai latte for Jennie!”

“Oh, that’s me, just a sec,” Jennie said, leaving momentarily to retrieve her drink. “Listen, I’ve gotta run, but I’m having a dinner party Friday night. It’s nothing big, just a few of the other guests from the fundraiser, but I’d love for you both to be there.”

“We’d love to,” Tammy accepted readily. “We’re still so new here we haven’t really gotten the chance to meet people.”

“Well I’m happy to introduce you to my group. I think you’ll fit right in.” Jennie paused to find her phone in her bag, and she and Tammy exchanged numbers. “I’ll shoot you a text with the details. See you Friday!” She waved goodbye with her coffee in hand. 

“And we’re in,” Hannah sighed, sitting back. 

“We’re in,” Tammy affirmed. “Shame she’s a suspect. She’s actually pretty nice.”

Hannah shrugged, inclined to agree. “It’s possible she doesn’t know her foundation’s being used to fund weapons dealers.” Her eyes narrowed on the closed door to the café. “Or she is genuinely that good of an actor. She _ does _choose her friends based on a quota system.”

“Right.” Tammy gulped down the rest of her cappuccino sheepishly. “Forgot about that part.”


	3. Chapter 3

Walking into Pride’s office at Bell Chase, Hannah was grateful she’d thought to change out of her lawyer’s clothes beforehand. She felt much more like herself in her jeans and loose blouse, more grounded. Not to mention her feet no longer wanted to murder her for essentially walking on knives. “Hey, you got a sec?” she asked, her hand resting on the doorknob.

Pride looked up from his paperwork and seemed relieved for the interruption. “Hannah, come on in.” She closed the door behind her. “Please, take a seat. What’s on your mind?”

Sitting down, she launched right in. “You know our case with Derick Jackson, the sailor who went UA investigating a missing weapons shipment?”

Pride nodded. “You were thinking it had something to do with the Covington charity fund.” Seeing Hannah’s affirmation, he asked, “How are you planning to approach them?”

“Undercover,” Hannah supplied. “Gregorio attended their event yesterday to try to get into their inner circle of donors, where we think we’d be able to get close enough to get some actionable intel on the weapons’ and Jackson’s location.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” He left the question as to why she was in his office unasked.

“It’s a long story, but I actually had to go in with her at the last second to ensure us a spot,” she said, suddenly feeling nervous about explaining exactly in what capacity she was undercover with Gregorio. “So since I’ll be in the field for most of this case, I wondered if you had the time to help supervise the rest of the team and run point while I’m under.”

She knew asking was just a formality—the man could barely go three days without setting foot in the field office. But given the prominence of their suspects, making sure everything was done through proper channels would be paramount down the road. 

“Of course. When’s the next time you’re going in?” 

“Friday night. We managed to snag an invitation to one of their dinners.”

“Got it. You okay going back undercover?” His New Orleans drawl was tinged with worry. “After everything with Zelko?”

The question surprised Hannah, not because he’d asked it but because it was the first time she’d even thought of it. Objectively, the two cases bore some uncomfortable similarities: weapons dealers leaving bodies behind and trafficking assault-style weapons in the shadows. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why she didn’t feel any of the gnawing discomfort in her gut that she had the last six months in Oman. “This…feels different than Zelko,” she said after a beat. “I already made sure Naomi will be staying with Ryan for the duration of this case, and I won’t give the Covingtons a chance to blow my cover until I’m arresting them. I’m good.”

“Well, you and Gregorio make a good team, so I’ve got no doubt you’ll get your guys.” Pride stood up and smiled. “I’m happy to lend a hand.”

* * *

Friday evening came all too quickly. Hannah stood in front of her bedroom mirror, examining her appearance as she fastened her gold studded earrings. Her yellow halter crop top paired with a matching high-waisted yellow pencil skirt felt like a little much, even though barely any skin showed beneath the layered bands of fabric around her ribs. Turning around to make sure there were no lines to smooth out, she was grateful tonight was just to test the waters—there’s no way she’d be able to run in the slim-fitting number. _ Or hide a wire, for that matter_. 

“Now this is more like it.” Hannah’s head swiveled around to see a grinning Tammy leaning on the doorjamb, her hands tucked into the pockets of her midnight blue jumpsuit. Her usually unruly golden brown hair was tied back in a curled ponytail, her bangs pushed to the side to frame her face. The almost gleeful expression on her face at finally getting to wear pants made everything feel less like an undercover operation and more like they were teenagers trying on clothes at the mall. 

“Very nice,” Hannah said, unable to keep the amused smile off her face. She walked over to the bed to put on her heels. “Do you know who else is going to be at this thing?”

Tammy properly entered her room, choosing now to lean against Hannah’s dresser. “Not really. Based on who I saw them talking to at the fundraiser, I’d assume the Bensons because they have a kid with special needs, and I think I saw one of the advisors to Mayor Taylor there.”

Hannah paused buckling her shoe. “Does that advisor know who you really are?” Hannah was safe, since NCIS foiled an assassination plot on the mayor before she’d been brought in as team leader. But Tammy could have been seen.

Shaking her head, Tammy appeared unconcerned. “This guy was hired after that whole fiasco. Never met him.”

“Good.” Hannah tugged the strap underneath the buckle until it drew taught and stood up. “Ready to go?”

“Almost. Do you have a necklace I could borrow? I feel like I’d stand out in this crowd without a little bling.”

Hannah tilted her head to examine Tammy’s appearance a little more closely. Her deep v-neck and narrow straps did leave her neck looking bare, especially since her hair was up. “Yeah, I think I have something that would work.” She walked to her jewelry box, which was on the vanity right behind Tammy, and their shoulders brushed while she sorted through her accessories. A calm sort of quiet descended upon the room as she looked, save for the gentle tinkles of her jewelry. 

“Here we go, this’ll go well.” She held up a double-string of pearls. She turned to face Tammy, who hadn’t moved from her original position in all this time, and was surprised at how close she was. Close enough that Hannah could see the hazel flecks in her otherwise chocolate brown eyes. “Uh--if you wanna turn around I’ll put it on for you. The clasp can be a little tricky.”

Tammy’s eyes searched hers for a few moments more, as if she’d noticed Hannah’s almost imperceptible pause. Hannah tried to keep her breathing even, but it was increasingly hard to do so the longer Tammy looked at her. Her lips parted, about to ask her again, when Tammy slowly turned away from her and drew her ponytail around to her front. 

Feeling like she could breathe again, Hannah raised the pearls over Tammy’s head. Her fingers brushed the soft skin on the back of her neck, and Hannah watched with fascination as small goosebumps bloomed where she touched. “There, turn around and let me see.” Tammy acquiesced, the pearls now nestled in the dip between her collarbones. “Perfect,” Hannah said, her voice lower than before. 

A small smile turned the corners of Tammy’s lips upward, her eyes seeming to gather the lamplight in the room as she watched Hannah watch her. “Perfect.” She stepped back and made a show of offering her arm to her boss. “Shall we?”

Hannah chuckled, feeling the tension leave her shoulders, and placed her hand into the crook of Tammy’s elbow. “Why, thank you.”

* * *

Piano music floated through the foyer as Tammy and Hannah walked into the Covingtons’ mansion. The vast entryway gave way to two arched, marble staircases, with a temporary bar set up between them. The “small dinner party” apparently involved at least 50 guests, who milled about the area and filtered between the two adjoining rooms. 

“Hm, maybe this won’t be as quick as we thought,” Hannah said. Tammy nodded in agreement, a little dumbstruck by the degree to which Jennie undersold the size of her event. 

Peering into the parlor on their right, Tammy spotted Jennie and Edgar posing for pictures with a few of the partygoers. Knowing they probably had a while before the pair greeted them, Tammy tugged Hannah to the bar. She was all too conscious of the sideways glances they were getting as she led them deeper into the party by the hand. No doubt, among this particular social circle, seeing two women clearly behaving like a couple was still bizarre. 

_ Well, they’ll have to get used to it_, Tammy thought rebelliously, not realizing she’d squeezed Hannah’s hand until she felt a squeeze in response. 

“Everything ok?” she heard the soft whisper behind her.

Tammy looked back over her shoulder. Hannah’s curls bounced as she walked, framing a look of concern that was becoming all too familiar to the agent. Smiling, she pulled her closer to eliminate any doubt from observers’ minds. Hannah let out a small “Oh!” as she was brought so close her front brushed their clasped hands. 

“Everything’s good,” Tammy whispered back. “People are probably just wondering how lucky I was to land such a stunning date.”

She had no idea where that line came from, but as Hannah tried unsuccessfully to hide the pink in her cheeks behind a flattered laugh, Tammy had a feeling more of those lines would be coming out tonight. When Hannah raised her head again, her impossibly dark eyes twinkled with warmth. It was enough to make Tammy’s heart skip a beat.

Giving herself a mental shake, Tammy took a deep breath and turned back toward the bar, hyper-aware of her boss’s hand still in hers. She really needed to focus. There was basically no question of their believability as a couple--even Tammy was having trouble remembering this was all an act. _ Maybe tone down the flirting a bit, _she berated herself as she ordered their drinks. 

An hour later, Tammy was starting to tire from all the fake enthusiasm she had for Barbara’s arborist that she just absolutely _ had _ to check out; or for Teddy’s stock broker friend who could make her investments grow twice as fast; or for the endless, “Wow, I think it’s so great you two are together!” that kept getting thrown their way. She realized she’d known this was going to happen when she agreed to go undercover, but it didn’t make it any less exhausting. Hannah rubbed her arm reassuringly as she answered yet another, “So how did you meet?”

“Oh, we’ve known each other for years,” she said for the third time, no sign of fatigue in her voice. “We met while I was in law school. She was volunteering for the cleanup after Hurricane Sandy hit Long Island, and I was helping with a legal aid case of one of the apartment buildings trying to force its tenants out instead of doing the repairs.”

“Aw, two crusaders for justice, what a quaint story,” said the woman in front of them who appeared to be hanging onto her husband for dear life. George Henley was a prominent banker in Jefferson Parish, and his wife, Elaine, helped the Covingtons’ with their accounting for the charitable foundation. Elaine, apparently, did not have a high alcohol tolerance. Her ebony skin hid any evidence of a blush, but she seemed to be relying on George for balance an alarming amount. 

Tammy tried to suppress the smirk that wanted to break onto her face at Elaine’s comment, catching Hannah’s eye and seeing the same ironic amusement there. “I may have offered to help her research case precedent to spend time with her,” she added.

“Oh, she must have had it bad for you then,” George laughed, surprisingly the most at ease of the partygoers with the concept of two women together. “My brother’s a lawyer, and I swear about 95% of his work bored me to tears.”

Hannah nodded in amused agreement, looping her hand around Tammy’s and intertwining their fingers. “She toughed it out for two whole hours before I asked her if she wanted to have a drink instead.” Fondness colored her voice, and Tammy felt Hannah’s thumb gently stroking hers, something the Henleys most likely wouldn’t notice. 

Trying her best to not show the fact that her pulse just started running in double time, Tammy kept her focus trained on the couple in front of them. “Clearly the craziest thing I’ve ever done for a girl up until I moved down here for one.” Her face felt warm. So did Hannah’s hand.

“That _ is _ crazy,” came a deep voice from behind them. Hannah and Tammy separated so they could see who had joined their conversation. Edgar Covington walked toward them, a whiskey tumbler in one hand and Jennie’s hand in the other. He had a friendly face, but he carried himself in a way that spoke of unshakable confidence. “Jennie told me you ladies moved down here from New York.”

Jennie leaned forward and gave Tammy and Hannah quick hugs in greeting. “This is my husband, Edgar. He’s been itching to meet you properly since I mentioned you were coming tonight.”

Edgar shook both their hands before continuing, “Not that I don’t love New Orleans, but it had to be something big to get you to move from the Big Apple.”

“We loved our life in New York,” Tammy admitted and gestured to her partner, “but we’d both decided that when we settled down we’d want something a little quieter. When Hannah was asked to come down here as a name partner, it just felt like the right time.”

“But don’t you also have your work to consider?” Elaine asked, lifting her head from her husband’s shoulder. 

Tammy shrugged. “I pretty much just work for fun, and I can do interior design anywhere.” Her brain felt like it cleared a little of the fog that descended when Hannah was touching her, and she felt safe enough to look back up at her pretend-fiancée’s face. “It was a no-brainer for me.” Hannah tilted her head to one side and kept her eyes fixed on Tammy’s, her lips curving upwards. 

_ God, I’d hate us_, Tammy thought as she felt an answering smile steal across her own face. _ We’re acting like we’re disgustingly in love. _

She studiously ignored the part of her that quietly hoped for more opportunities to see Hannah looking at her like that. Even if it was just superb acting on Hannah’s part.

_ Even that moment in her bedroom? _ The treacherous thought floated through her mind before she could stop it. She could have sworn that just for a second she’d seen attraction in Hannah’s eyes. She thought she’d heard a hitch in her boss’s breath, and maybe she read too much into the feeling that Hannah’s fingers had lingered on her neck a touch longer than necessary. The woman was frustratingly good at maintaining her composure, so Tammy couldn’t be sure...but that half-an-instant of surprise replayed itself over and over again in her head.

Jennie gasped and clapped her hands together, bringing Tammy out of her reverie and back to the present. “Oh, my god, I didn’t know you were a designer, Tammy! We’ve been trying to find one to redo our downstairs office.”

_ Gotcha_, Tammy cheered internally. “I’d be happy to lend my services if you want,” she offered, sending a thrilled glance to Hannah, who raised her eyebrows excitedly. Luckily, their unexpected delight was mistaken for joy over the prospect of Tammy getting such a high-profile client, and Jennie happily chatted about what she’d want to do with the space. Tammy was only half-listening, too relieved at how well this worked out. This was the perfect way to access their computers and files, and maybe this would all be done faster than they’d thought.

She quickly quashed the bitter disappointment that came next.


	4. Chapter 4

“This has got to be the weirdest undercover mission I’ve ever been on,” Tammy said as Hannah brought her a glass of wine and curled up on the other side of the couch, now happily in her comfiest sweatpants. “I think I  _ like _ our targets.”

Hannah laughed into her merlot, taking a sip before saying, “They  _ are _ disarmingly friendly. I actually had a good time tonight.” 

“And not everyone at that party totally sucked. George and Elaine were nice.” Hannah could hear the surprise in Tammy’s voice at even the implication of her enjoying the company of the social elite. “They were super chill about us.” Tammy pouted. “Can’t we stay friends with George and Elaine after all of this?”

“Do you think they’ll stay friends with us when we go back to being law enforcement?”

A resigned sigh left Tammy as she raised her glass to her lips. “Probably not. But they actually seemed to like us as a couple instead of pretending they weren’t huge homophobes like everyone else.”

“True, they were definitely the most accepting aside from Jennie and Edgar, who clearly also have their own motivations behind being our friends.”

Tammy sat up on her side of the couch, the blanket she’d been snuggling under sliding down to her lap and revealing her black tank top. “That’s the thing,” she said. “They’re  _ too nice _ for it to all be manipulation. It doesn’t feel calculating. It just feels like Jennie is really excited to be our friend.”

Hannah regarded the other woman thoughtfully, mulling over her words. Tammy’d let her hair down as soon as they got home, and it hung about her shoulders in a half-curled mane. She looked so earnest, leaning forward with her glass of wine in one hand and a handful of couch cushion in the other. Hannah felt the overwhelming urge to take a mental picture of this Tammy, this comfortable, impassioned yet relaxed Tammy. She was, well, cute.

“Hannah?”

She jerked out of her thoughts, seeing Tammy still waiting for an answer. “Sorry, you’re right, we’re missing something.” She buried her face in her wine, her mind racing to come up with more to say to justify why she’d spaced out staring at her agent. “Let’s take a step back. What if Jennie and Edgar are actually just as charitable and open-minded as they sell themselves to be? And they just attract people from different backgrounds because they’re the most accepting of the lot?"

Shrugging, Tammy sat back and smoothed down the scrunched cushion. “I don’t know, maybe. Maybe I only talked to bitter white people at the fundraiser, who resented not being part of their inner circle. God knows there were plenty of them there.”

Hannah snorted into her wine, earning a bemused look from Tammy. Perhaps it was from the alcohol in her system or from the adrenaline from tonight, but the almost indifferent way Tammy said the phrase “bitter white people” was too much for her. She curled inward, trying to contain the full-bodied laughter that was trying to burst forth. 

“You okay?” Tammy asked, her voice shaking as if she, too, was trying to suppress her amusement.

Shaking her head, Hannah composed herself and leaned a hand on Tammy’s shin for support while she caught her breath. “I’m fine,” she finally said. “I just love that I can always rely on you to say exactly how you feel.”

She felt Tammy tense under her touch, just for a moment. Hannah was about to ask what was wrong when Tammy spoke, changing the subject. “That was a cute story you told about how we met.” Her voice was more measured now, and she focused on picking imaginary lint off the couch, not meeting Hannah’s eyes. 

“I thought it would be believable.” Hannah let her hand drop and traced the rim of her wine glass instead. Tammy stayed quiet for a few more seconds before Hannah poked her with her foot. “Hey, what are you thinking?”

A few more beats of silence followed while Tammy seemed to search for the right words. “You were really convincing.” She finally looked up at her boss, uncertainty swimming in her heavy-lidded eyes. “I’ve been undercover before, but you made pretending to be someone else look as easy as breathing.”

Hannah’s eyebrows lifted. She’d never expected  _ Gregorio _ to be insecure around her. “I did it for years, Tammy,” she said slowly, not sure why she felt the need to reassure her. “My whole life was pretending to be other people.”

“But...you said before that you’d never had to pretend to have a personal life, but you’re a natural at acting like--” Tammy stopped short with a dismissive wave. “Ah, never mind. I think I’m just feeling a little out of my element here, and it’s just a little trippy to see how you worked before you joined us.” She ran a hand through her hair and finished off her glass of wine. “Anyway, I think I’m gonna turn in. Thanks for the wine.”

Not quite understanding what just happened, Hannah swallowed the last of her own drink and got up when Tammy did. “No problem.” They stood staring at each other for a second. Hannah then busied herself with taking the glass from Tammy’s hand. “I’ll clean up.”

“Oh, thanks.” With nothing else to do, Tammy took her leave. “Goodnight, Hannah.”

Looking up from picking up the cheese plate from the coffee table, Hannah felt her own distance in her smile. Rather than maintaining eye contact or giving her a quick squeeze of the arm, she just straightened and said, “Goodnight, Tammy.” 

After depositing the plate with the glasses in the dishwasher, Hannah slowly made her way up the stairs, chewing on her lower lip. They’d enjoyed themselves tonight, both at the party and afterward. So what caused it to end so...abruptly? They worked so well together, and Tammy wasn’t wrong--it  _ was _ exceptionally easy for her to pretend to be her fiancée. 

_ What if that’s the problem? _ Hannah stopped mid-step just before she reached the top, her hand frozen on the banister.  _ What if I’m making her uncomfortable? _

She wanted to kick herself as she stared to her left at the closed door to the guest room. Of course, she should have been checking in more before she was so physically affectionate undercover. Hannah Shahi, in love with Tammy Russo, would have been reaching for her partner like a reflex, so that’s what Hannah did. But what if Tammy Gregorio hadn’t been expecting it?  _ And I’m her boss, so there’s no way she’d tell me on her own _ .  _ You’re better than this, Khoury _ . 

Hannah moved once more, climbing the last step and heading into her own bedroom to the right. She was going to fix this. First thing in the morning. 

* * *

Tammy lay in the dark, not even trying to close her eyes. Her body hummed with nervous energy, and there was no way she’d be able to sleep any time soon. Tonight was a flurry of soft touches and flushed faces and dark eyes and bright smiles, and it was all too much. She had an inkling before all of this started. She’d known in the back of her mind the problems that could arise when it unfolded that she’d be undercover with Hannah. 

Knowing the eventuality was entirely different than having that eventuality come crashing down on her in a matter of hours. Tammy groaned and reached up to bring the spare pillow over her face so she could muffle the sound. 

She had feelings for her boss, and she couldn’t do a damn thing about them. 

* * *

Hannah was already dressed for the day by the time Tammy descended the stairs the next morning. She sat at the table, drinking coffee and reading something on her phone. The sun bounced off her black-brown curls, which fell forward when she brought the mug to her lips. Tammy’s hands itched to brush that hair back, but she was saved the temptation when Hannah looked up at the sound of her footsteps. 

“Good morning,” she greeted with a polite smile. She nodded to the counter. “I made coffee.”

Mumbling a thanks, Tammy padded her way into the kitchen. She tilted the French press over the waiting mug, ears straining for, well, any movement from Hannah. As she pulled the milk from the fridge, she realized what was missing from their morning routine--food. “You didn’t eat breakfast?”

“Ah, I don’t usually eat breakfast most days, actually,” Hannah said, putting her phone down and crossing her jean-clad legs as she turned to face Tammy. “But I can make something for you if you’re hungry.”

Tammy shook her head, wrapping both hands around the mug. “No, that’s okay.”  _ It just feels different today is all _ . “So what’s the plan for today?”

“Debrief with the rest of the team, and see where they are on tracking down Jackson’s ex-girlfriend,” Hannah supplied before she took a deep breath and stood. She approached Tammy, who still leaned against the counter and had a sinking feeling she was not going to enjoy what was said next. “But before we go, I just wanted to clear the air.”

Hannah’s eyes seemed to be searching for any kind of discomfort in her face, but all Tammy felt was confused. “What about?”

“I’m your boss,” she said bluntly, earning an even more puzzled look from Tammy. 

“So?”

Hannah huffed, clearly finding this topic uncomfortable. “So, I should have realized that my behavior last night at the party could have crossed a line, and that because I’m your boss, you may not feel comfortable telling me so.”

“Crossed a--?”

“I was acting the way someone in love with you should act,” Hannah continued. Tammy tried to ignore the way that sentence seemed to punch her in the gut. “And I should have checked in with you before being so physically affectionate with you. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t,” Tammy hurried to reassure her. “Yeah, it took a second to get used to, but more because I’m just not naturally a PDA type of person. You didn’t cross any lines, Hannah.” The other woman’s entire body seemed to relax, and Tammy just then noticed how anxious she must have been. “Geez, you were really worried about it, weren’t you?”

Hannah half-shook, half-nodded her head as she turned back to the kitchen table to retrieve her coffee. “I mean, yeah, last night ended a little weird, and I just started panicking I’d accidentally sexually harassed you.”

_ Last night ended weird because  _ I _ was too busy panicking about you _ , Tammy thought. “I’m good, don’t worry about me.”  _ I’ll be fine. I can ignore my feelings like a champ.  _

* * *

Sebastian’s face broke into a smile when he saw Tammy and Hannah walk into the office. It’d only been a week since his best friend temporarily moved out, but he was still thrilled to get to see her again. His house felt too big with just him in it. “Hey, guys!” he greeted eagerly. “How was the party last night?”

His eyebrows shot up as he saw Tammy’s cheeks immediately bloom with color. She stayed silent while Hannah answered for both of them. “It went really well,” she said, proudly rubbing Tammy’s back and causing her flush to deepen. “Tammy’s gonna redesign Edgar Covington’s office, giving us the perfect opportunity to get a look at his files.”

“That’s great.” Sebastian dug through his drawers. “I’m sure I’ve got a flash drive with a cloning program written into it somewhere on here.”

“Where are Pride and LaSalle?” Tammy asked while he searched. She walked over to his desk and picked up the steaming mug of coffee to steal a sip. When she lowered the mug, her face was back to its normal tanned complexion. 

Sebastian straightened and watched Hannah walk to her own desk to check her emails. “They’re on their way to Georgia to talk to Jackson’s old girlfriend.”

“Oh, so they found her, that’s good,” Tammy declared evenly. She made her way to the table behind Sebastian’s desk and pushed herself up to sit on it. Kicking her legs back and forth, she continued, “Why’d it take so long?”

“Turns out she hasn’t been in New Orleans since she was 18,” Sebastian explained, leaning back in his chair so he could look at both of them at the same time. “She left the state for college and now she’s a grad student at the University of Georgia. Her parents moved to Florida last year so it took a while to find anyone who knew where she went.”

“Hopefully she can shed some light into Jackson’s state of mind.” Hannah’s low voice floated across the open office, a grim note to it. She’d turned the screen of her computer to face them, showing a crime scene photo of a young man’s body, riddled with bullets, thrown among a pile of trash. Seaman Derick Jackson had finally been found. “We won’t be able to ask him.”

A heavy silence descended upon the three agents. Sebastian’s hands clenched around the flash drive he held. The longer they’d gone without finding the missing sailor, the more likely he would have an outcome like this, but that knowledge didn’t make it any easier. “Guess we should get going then,” he said. 

Hannah shook her head. “NOPD already processed the scene and sent the body to Wade before they realized he was Navy. She’s who sent me these images, said she’ll let me know when she has an update.”

With nothing to do, Sebastian tapped the flash drive in his hand on the desk, watching it fall again and again between his fingers. Tammy continued kicking her legs like a little kid, occasionally nudging his chair to get his attention. He could tell she was trying to keep him from dwelling on Jackson’s death. Her phone let off a light chirp, and she shifted to retrieve it from her back pocket. 

“Jennie wants to come over tonight to look at my portfolio and talk about her ideas for Edgar’s office,” Tammy announced, no small amount of anxiety lacing her voice. Hannah tilted her head to the side, quirking one eyebrow up at her coworker. 

“That’s good news, Gregorio,” she said. “Why do you sound worried?”

There came the slight blush again, Sebastian noted. Tammy stopped moving her legs and instead crossed them at the ankles, taking a deep breath before speaking. “Because your place feels like  _ your _ place. She’ll think it’s weird that I’m not in any of the pictures. Hell,  _ you’re _ not even in many of the pictures.”

Hannah laughed and nodded in acceptance. “You’re not wrong, Gregorio, but that’s also easily fixed.” She looked toward Sebastian. “You busy? Or do you feel like helping us take some engagement pictures?”

From the corner of his eye, Sebastian saw Tammy go stock-still. Something was definitely up with her. He agreed readily, if for no other reason than to have more time to figure out what was going on between his roommate and his boss. 


	5. Chapter 5

Walking down the path in City Park, Tammy looked down at her and Hannah’s interlaced fingers. The ring glimmered on Hannah’s fourth finger, and now Tammy wore her own engagement band on her other hand. Raising her eyes, she saw Hannah’s head turn toward her. Hannah’s eyes were as soft and comforting as her smile. Tammy wanted to capture that expression forever.

The faint click of a camera behind them told them Sebastian probably  _ had _ captured the moment. It was decidedly weirder acting like Hannah was her fiancée in front of someone they both knew in their real lives. He trailed behind them taking pictures of them walking hand-in-hand. The sun, almost at its zenith, bathed the both of them in the “perfect light for outdoor pictures,” according to Sebastian. It quickly became apparent that he had an entire photoshoot in mind for the morning. 

“Great, I think we have what we need of the walking pictures,” he called out behind them, and Tammy looked over her shoulder to peer at him. She noticed Hannah made no move to separate their hands. “You should get changed, and then let’s take some pictures against some sort of neutral background so I can photoshop you two in New York.” He handed them the duffle bag hanging off his shoulder and pointing to the public restrooms to their left. 

Dutifully following his instructions, Hannah and Tammy soon found themselves straightening their new outfits in front of a big barn on the edge of the park. As Hannah shrugged on her suit jacket and made sure her shirt was tucked in properly, Tammy shook out the wrinkles in her black dress so that the white floral details wouldn’t look too mangled in the pictures. Her hair now hung in a loose braid over her shoulder. 

Hannah’s hair flipped up as she straightened, the short locks bouncing into place easily. “So what do you want us to do, Sebastian?” 

* * *

The designated “New York” pictures were slated to be taken right after Hannah supposedly proposed to Tammy. Their ever-focused photographer positioned them both so that Tammy’s now ring-laden hand would be easily visible to the camera. Hannah, at Sebastian’s direction, stepped so close to Tammy she was almost flush against the other agent and placed both hands around her waist to rest on the small of her back. Their noses almost touched now, and Hannah looked into Tammy’s eyes to make sure she was still okay. Passersby kept stopping to wish them congratulations because the diamond on Tammy’s left hand now glittered brightly in the sunlight, and it was obvious they were taking engagement photos. If she was uncomfortable with the public nature of the photoshoot, Tammy remained a good sport about it. Tammy flashed her an embarrassed smile but didn’t look anywhere but at Hannah.

More instructions, and then Tammy’s hands were coming up to linger on either side of Hannah’s neck, as if she was about to pull her in for a kiss. Tammy’s breath fell on her own lips, and Hannah involuntarily dropped her gaze to her coworker’s mouth. 

Quickly averting her eyes back to meet Tammy’s, Hannah focused on the sounds of the camera shutter, rather than the thought that just ran through her head. A fleeting, dangerous thought, more than likely brought on by just her body’s instinctive reaction to how Sebastian positioned them. A brief curiosity of what it would feel like if she were to lean forward  _ just a little _ , just enough to press her lips against Tammy’s. 

_ Now that  _ would _ be sexual harassment _ , she warned herself, starting to feel a little warm under her collar. When Sebastian said the word, she forced an elated grin and slid her face past Tammy’s to envelop her in a proper hug. Tammy’s arms wrapped around her neck, and Hannah leaned back to lift the shorter woman off the ground. Tammy’s surprised laughter echoed in her ears, no doubt offering Sebastian the perfect picture of an ecstatic, newly engaged couple.

* * *

Sebastian was grateful he was hidden behind the camera, because he felt like he was intruding in whatever was happening between Hannah and Tammy. Never mind the fact that he himself manufactured these intimate, couple-y moments for them. All he had to do was make them look at each other, and their faces did the rest. It wasn’t long before he had all the material he needed to transform Hannah’s house into the Shahi-Russo residence. 

“I think we’re good,” he announced. “I’m gonna head back to the office and fix the backgrounds. I’ll drop those and your design portfolio off at Hannah’s place in about an hour.”

He watched both women relax and step away from each other once they heard they were done. From the degree of relief on both their faces, he would have thought the entire experience was miserable for them if he hadn’t then watched each woman take a second to collect herself before looking at the other again. Hannah ran her hand through her curls, tugging at them to stretch them back into a ponytail, only to apparently remember she didn’t have a hair tie. With a sigh, she let her hair swing back around her face, now sporting a few more flyaways than before. Tammy, facing the other way, took several deep breaths and checked her watch. All this had only taken an hour, but she looked antsy to get moving. 

Hurriedly saying goodbye, Sebastian made his way back to the field office. Wracking his brain, he couldn’t come up with a single time he’d seen Tammy so on edge. Even with Eva, his friend wasn’t nearly this flustered. And as for Hannah, Sebastian didn’t think he’d ever seen her as anything less than composed, so seeing her like this was doubly disconcerting. 

_ Could they…? _ No, Sebastion stopped the thought before it could fully form. Hannah was too professional to let anything happen. Besides, he didn’t even know if she swung that way. 

But he sure as hell was gonna find out. 

* * *

Tammy sat on Hannah’s couch and stared at her new phone background. A soft, smiling Hannah nuzzling Tammy’s cheek while she took a selfie of them stared back up at her. Hannah’s eyes were closed and her hair was mussed, and Tammy could just make out Hannah’s hands around her waist as she hugged her from behind. She looked happy. Tammy’s own content face grinned up at her, taunting her with their posed closeness. 

Hannah’s footsteps came down the stairs, and Tammy looked up to see her freshly showered, wearing an oversized knit sweater. Her still-wet hair hung down by her face, now scrubbed free of any makeup. She curled up on the other side of the couch and grabbed the design portfolio Sebastian dropped off while she bathed. 

Overwhelmed by the urge to lean over and insinuate herself into the space between Hannah and the back of the sofa, Tammy stood to busy herself in the kitchen. “Tea?” she offered.

“Thanks,” Hannah accepted, flipping through the book. “Sebastian did a good job with this.”

Putting the kettle on the stove to boil, Tammy walked back to stand behind Hannah, leaning over her shoulder. “Yeah, I just wish I had more time to study these weird HGTV terms.” She pointed to the granite countertop on the page, her arm extending past Hannah’s face. “Like how the hell do I describe that?”

“I’ve found that if people use the word ‘soapstone’ or ‘trim,’ I just nod along and assume they know what they’re talking about,” Hannah confessed, turning the page. 

“Don’t forget ‘backsplash.’ Designers love backsplash.” That earned her a small giggle, and Hannah turned her head to look at her in amusement. 

“See? You’re a natural.” 

Hannah’s face was, once again, just inches from her own. Her boss’s fond expression melted away the longer they held eye contact. Tammy cursed internally, déjà vu from this morning descending over her. Everything from this morning seemed to repeat itself, most notably the hitch in Hannah’s breath and the likely unconscious flicker of her eyes to Tammy’s mouth. Hannah  _ definitely _ looked at her lips. Tammy was sure of it. It happened so fast this morning she thought it was a trick of the light. But here, now? Hannah’s gaze lingered there for a moment before sliding back up to meet hers. There was no doubt about it.

_ Damn it, Gregorio _ , Tammy thought, her heart pounding in her ears as she saw Hannah’s eyes grow just a shade darker.  _ What have you gotten yourself into? _

Maybe it was her imagination, but Hannah looked like she was going to lean even closer--that is until the whistle of the kettle broke through the haze. 

Jerking away from the couch, Tammy hurried to open the spout and silence the noise. She couldn’t tell if she was frustrated or grateful when the doorbell rang through the house, announcing Jennie Covington’s arrival. 

* * *

“Your house is so quaint,” Jennie gushed, not an ounce of condescension in her voice. Hannah ushered her into the living room, tugging at one of the stray threads on her sleeve. She needed to focus. Not dwell on the fact that she did it again. She got thrown off by Tammy being there, so close, flooding her senses. She wondered again what it would be like. To touch. To feel. To  _ taste _ . 

Tammy walked in from the kitchen holding a tray of three steaming cups of herbal tea, greeting Jennie with a hug as soon as she deposited the tray on the coffee table. She wore a black wrap dress, as if she’d just gotten home from work, but her feet shuffled in slippers to shield against the slight autumn chill. Hannah tried not to pay attention to how the sight made her feel warm inside. Tammy looked for all the world like she belonged there. 

Jennie took a seat on the edge of the couch, chatting away with Tammy, who sat in the recliner next to the couch. Hannah perched herself on the arm of the recliner, reaching forward for her tea. 

“This picture is precious.” Jennie picked up the framed photo of them hugging and laughing on the coffee table. 

“That’s right after Hannah proposed to me,” Tammy said, her voice affectionate as she glanced back to the woman sitting beside her.

Hannah smiled and rubbed Tammy’s back, telling herself she did so to stay in character. “It’s probably my favorite picture of us.”

Jennie nodded, replacing the frame on the table and continuing to go through the portfolio. “That was a great call to have someone there to capture the moment. Edgar’s proposal was so poorly planned, it was a miracle he even had the ring when he asked me.” The blonde stared off into the distance, clearly not upset by the memory. “It was still perfect though.”

“It always is with the right person.” Tammy’s hand found Hannah’s knee and squeezed, the heat of her hand soaking through the fabric of Hannah’s leggings. 

The other two women bounced ideas off each other for Edgar’s office, while Hannah sipped her tea and tried to think of anything other than the hand on her knee. Tammy’s thumb stroked gently, making Hannah wish Jennie left so her hand could move more freely. Preferably further up her leg. 

Burying her rapidly heating face in her mug, she cast around for any natural way to get some distance from her fake-fiancée. As if on cue, her phone lit up on the coffee table with Naomi’s face. 

“I’m so sorry, it’s my niece. I should take this.” Hannah excused herself, grabbing her phone and hurriedly making her way upstairs. As soon as she was out of earshot, she answered with a relieved, “Hi, baby.”

“Mommy!” Naomi’s cheerful voice came through the speaker. “I made the soccer team!”

“That’s great! I’m so proud of you,” she said as she closed the door to her bedroom behind her. “You’re going to be amazing.” Her heart ached that she wasn’t able to hug her daughter right then. She sat on the ground and leaned against her door, listening to Naomi’s bubbly account of soccer tryouts and her new team. Sanity slowly returned to her as she talked to her daughter, her voice centering her.  _ God _ , she missed her. She must have lost track of time, because soon she heard a knock on the door she sat against. 

“Hannah, everything okay?” Tammy’s voice sounded through the door. 

“Baby, I’ve gotta go back to work now,” Hannah said somewhat sadly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Mommy,” Naomi chirped. “Talk to you later!”

Standing up, she took a deep, steeling breath and opened the door. “Hey, is Jennie gone?”

Tammy nodded, her eyes searching Hannah’s face. “Yeah, she just left. I’m supposed to go over there to measure the space tomorrow. She invited us to dinner. Hey, are you okay?”

Maybe Hannah wasn’t as good at hiding the melancholy in her face as she’d thought. She felt her voice shake a little as she waved Tammy’s concern off. “I’m fine, Naomi just called to tell me she made the soccer team.”

“That’s awesome, but why does your face look like that?” Tammy asked bluntly, stepping a little closer. 

A watery laugh burst forth and Hannah squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears that started to gather. “Thanks, Gregorio.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I just miss my kid, and somehow it’s worse that she’s here and I can’t spend time with her.”

With her eyes closed, she had no warning before Tammy’s arms drew her into a bear hug. It was enough to make the moisture spill over from behind her eyelids. Hannah let her arms come up to clutch Tammy’s upper back, trying in vain to control her ragged breathing. “Shh,” Tammy soothed, rubbing her back. “I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be separated from your daughter, but you’ll see her soon. You just gotta remember that.”

“I just feel like I’m missing all the big moments in her life, and it  _ sucks _ because she’s the whole reason I came to New Orleans.”

“Hey,  _ hey _ ,” Tammy interrupted, pushing back from the embrace to look her in the eye. “From the way that girl looks at you, there’s no way she’s feeling like you’re not there for her. She called you the second she got the good news, and you will be there at every soccer game. I’ll make sure of it.”

Hannah’s tears slowed as Tammy’s words sunk in. She was right. Naomi, patient and kind as she was, always gave her mother space to be there. 

“You know what? We don’t have to do anything else tonight. How about you go take Naomi out for dinner, spend some time with your daughter?” 

That sounded like exactly what she needed. She wiped her cheeks and nodded, a grateful smile now blooming on her face. “That sounds perfect.”

“Then it’s decided.” Tammy rubbed Hannah’s upper arms before dropping her hands altogether. “I need to check in on Sebastian anyway. Poor guy’s probably just sitting at home playing video games.”

Tammy made to leave the room, but Hannah grabbed her hand. “Tammy.” Her subordinate turned back, a questioning look on her face. “Thanks for talking me down.”

Smiling, Tammy squeezed her hand in response. “Anytime.”   
  



	6. Chapter 6

“So how’s it going with Hannah?” Sebastian’s question was muffled by a mouthful of noodles, but the words came through clearly enough.

Tammy paused as she dug her chopsticks into her lo mein. There was something about the way her roommate asked that question that had her on alert. He was fishing. She narrowed her eyes as she answered slowly. “Fine, why do you ask?”

His shrug was overly casual. “Looks like you’re getting close.” He never looked up from his takeout, finding his struggle to capture an elusive piece of broccoli a safer bet than looking Tammy in the eye. 

_ You’re not as subtle as you think you are, Seb_, she thought to herself. “Yeah, I guess we are.” 

“Really close.”

_ Okay, maybe he’s not trying to be subtle_. “I mean I’m living with the woman, Sebastian,” she said dryly. “Clearly you get closer when you share the same space like that.” She dug her sock-covered toe into Sebastian’s thigh.

“I’m just saying.” He abandoned his chopsticks in his takeout container as he raised his hands in surrender. “You’re both extremely convincing as a couple.”

Tammy did her best to wave him off, but inside she felt panic bubble up inside her. _ Shit, is it that obvious? _ “Yeah, well, that’s our job.”

Sebastian shot her a disbelieving look. “It’s okay to say you like her,” he said bluntly.

No words came out of Tammy’s mouth no matter how much she opened and closed it, not prepared for such a direct approach. She could redirect with the best of them, but her brain came up with nothing to deflect the very true words her best friend just voiced. 

Too much time passed, and a satisfied glint shone in Sebastian’s eyes. He was about to gloat but stopped when he saw the anxiety clear as day on Tammy’s face. “What’s the matter?”

“I—,” Tammy’s voice caught in her throat before she could admit it out loud for the first time. “She’s our boss.”

“So?”

“She’s straight.”

Sebastian waited just a second too long to reply. “Right,” he said unconvincingly.

Tammy leaned forward, her feet swinging down to the floor as she fixed her gaze on Sebastian’s guilty face. “Why did you hesitate? What do you know?”

Scratching the back of his head, Sebastian laughed while a blush bloomed in his cheeks. “I don’t _ know _ anything, but...I don’t know. She didn’t _ seem _ all that straight this morning.”

“This morning during your little photo shoot?” Tammy ignored the way her heartbeat doubled. “We had to be convincing for the camera.”

Sebastian shook his head. “I don’t know about that.” He reached behind him to the leftover pictures he’d developed, which lay on the side table next to the couch. He flipped through a couple before picking a photo and handing it to his friend. “_That _ doesn’t look like pretending.”

Tammy looked down at the close up of them in “New York.” Sebastian had apparently situated himself behind Tammy so the focus was mostly on Hannah, whose eyes were soft as they took Tammy in. Her face was relaxed, and she looked absolutely enraptured by the woman in front of her. She looked almost eager for Tammy to finish pulling her in for a kiss. 

She stared at the photo for probably too long, unable to stem the flow of treacherous thoughts going around in her head. Thoughts of a couple hours ago, when Hannah had that same expression on her face when there was no camera around. When she looked like she was getting ready to lean in—but more likely, that was only what Tammy wished she would do. _ No_, Tammy shook herself out of that memory. _ I’m just reading into every little thing. Hannah is straight. _ “I think we need to focus on finding _ you _ a girl, Sebastian, instead of you finding me one.”

Sebastian let out a frustrated sigh, clearly wondering how his best friend could be so thick. “You already _ found _ her.” 

Tammy threw her crumpled up napkin at his face. “Just shut up and pass the wonton soup.”

* * *

“That was Wade,” Hannah declared as she put away her cell phone and adjusted her form-fitting white suit. Tammy tried not to stare at the way the neckline of Hannah’s lace blouse dipped when she smoothed the fabric under the blazer. “She just finished the autopsy on Jackson.”

They stood in front of the Covingtons’ door, just about to join them for dinner. Tammy spent the night before at Sebastian’s and most of the day at the office writing notes from their operation so far, so this was the first time she’d seen Hannah in almost 24 hours. Somehow, she’d gotten even more stunning in that time period, and Tammy’d gotten decidedly worse at ignoring that fact. “She find anything?”

Hannah’s curls swayed as she shook her head. “He wasn’t shot at close range, and his tox screen and stomach contents weren’t anything out of the ordinary. There’s no match on the ballistics, either.” 

“I guess it’d be too much to ask that our killer would be so easy to find,” Tammy sighed. “Guess we still gotta keep chugging along on our end.”

“Don’t sound so thrilled about it, Gregorio,” Hannah said dryly as she rang the doorbell. 

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Tammy looked at Hannah earnestly, hoping she wasn’t upset by her offhand comment. Hannah just kept her gaze fixed on the mahogany door, but her hand sought out Tammy’s and gave it a squeeze. 

“I know.” 

The door opened, revealing a beaming Jennie Covington. “Hello, ladies! I’m so glad you could make it tonight.”

Tammy fell back into her now-familiar role of philanthropic socialite, stepping forward to hug Jennie in greeting. “Of course, thanks for inviting us.”

* * *

The mansion seemed smaller without the throngs of people milling around. Edgar and Jennie, no longer being pulled in twenty different directions, took them around on a tour of the place, but not before making sure they all had a glass of chardonnay in hand. 

“How long have you both lived here?” Tammy asked, watching their targets walking arm-in-arm in front of them. 

“Must be about 10 years now,” Edgar answered. He looked proudly at his wife beside him. “We moved in about a year after I took over the company from my dad.”

Hannah gestured to the view of the river from the back porch. “I can only imagine how beautiful that patio is in the daytime.”

“Good eye,” Jennie agreed. “It’s my favorite spot in the house. The way the sunrise makes the water sparkle is the best view over breakfast.” They stopped just outside a heavy wooden door, a large portrait of Edgar's father hanging on the wall next to it. “How about you show Hannah the library, babe?” Jennie prompted Edgar. “I’ll take Tammy to your office so she can get the measurements for the remodel.”

Edgar obeyed, letting Jennie’s arm fall away from his while he extended his other arm to Hannah. “Do you like books, Hannah?”

Sending a parting glance to Tammy, Hannah placed her hand in the crook of Edgar’s elbow. “As long as they’re first editions.” That earned a chuckle from her host as he guided her down the hall. 

As Edgar pointed out his favorite volumes in the expansive library, Hannah found herself understanding the reason Jennie was so happy with the man. He was charming, charismatic, and clearly in love with his wife. His easy, confident demeanor made for excellent company. Hannah repeatedly had to remind herself that he was most likely financing a weapons ring. But, she mused as he started to lead them to the dining room, he was remarkably unguarded for a criminal.

_ Something doesn’t fit_, she thought to herself. Tammy and Jennie were already seated at the dining table, waiting for them to arrive so they could dig into their salads. Hannah took the seat across from Tammy, resolving to try to figure out what felt off later. 

* * *

“Do you think Tammy’s alright?” Edgar dropped his fork and knife on the plate next to his half-eaten roast beef and looked over his shoulder to the empty hallway. “She’s spending an awfully long time in the bathroom.”

Hannah put down her glass of water and forced her tone to remain nonchalant. “I’ll go check on her. She got a little food poisoning last night, so she’s probably just not back to 100% yet.” She pushed back from the table and excused herself. As soon as she was out of view, she hurried down the hallway, past the bathroom to the slightly open door next to it.

“Hey, what’s taking so long?” Hannah asked softly as she ducked into Edgar’s office. Tammy whipped around from inserting Sebastian’s cloning program into the USB port on the back of Edgar’s computer. 

“God, Hannah, you scared me,” she said, her hand going to her pounding heart as she leaned against the front of the desk. “Sorry, it took me a while to find the password to unlock his computer. Patton, once again, saves the day.”

Pushing the door closed behind her, not fully because the heavy click would definitely be louder than they wanted right then, Hannah walked up to her coworker. “Great, because I just told them you’re having diarrhea to explain why you’ve been gone for so long.”

“Diarrhea?” Tammy wrinkled her nose. “That’s not very dignified.”

“Well, I needed some reason why you’d be stuck in the bathroom,” Hannah laughed. “How long will the clone take?”

Tammy glanced behind her, leaning back over the desk to look at the little red light on the end of the USB. “Sebastian said it takes about two minutes, and that when it’s done the light will turn green.”

Hannah stepped closer so she could peer at the light as well. Straightening, she ran a hand through her curls, her other hand parking itself on her hip. “Hopefully they don’t miss us before that program’s done running.”

Silence descended upon the pair. Hannah watched as Tammy brushed off some imaginary lint from her dark purple dress, neither of them really knowing where to look while they waited. Hannah realized she was standing a hair too close to the other woman, but she couldn’t step back without making it seem like she couldn’t handle being so close. Tammy also seemed uneasy with the silence, fidgeting with a stray lock that escaped her loose braid. “How was dinner with Naomi?”

Hannah’s shoulders relaxed. “It was wonderful,” she answered. “Thanks for suggesting that. Seeing her was exactly what I needed.”

“That’s awesome, I’m happy I could help.” Tammy’s heavy-lidded eyes met hers as a warm smile made its way onto her face. At the sound of footsteps approaching down the hallway, however, Tammy’s smile quickly grew strained. “Shit, the program’s not done yet.”

A million different scenarios ran through Hannah’s mind, but none of them gave them a good excuse for being in Edgar’s office together. And they definitely didn’t have time to hide based on how close those footsteps sounded. As the footsteps paused outside the door, Hannah did the only thing she could think of that had any chance of working. She wrapped her hands around Tammy’s waist and pulled her flush against herself. She only barely registered Tammy’s surprised expression before she lowered her head and captured Tammy’s lips. 

Heat suffused her body as she moved her mouth against Tammy’s. Her eyes slid shut when she felt Tammy start to kiss her back, electricity running through her from the small hands that ghosted against her hips. Hannah stepped forward so that Tammy was pushed back against the edge of the desk again, tilting her head and getting lost in the sensation of the other woman. Tammy’s lips were soft and pliant under hers, her body warm and inviting. A faint sound escaped Tammy’s throat as she tugged Hannah in closer. It was enough to make Hannah forget why she’d kissed her in the first place, until a pointed cough broke through the haze. 

Springing apart, the pair turned to face a confused Jennie. Tammy conveniently blocked their host’s view of the flash drive, and Hannah, panting, tried to straighten out her white suit jacket. “Hey, Jennie,” she breathed, barely able to think as she still reeled from the kiss. 

“What are you two doing in here?” Jennie asked, her eyes going back and forth between the two agents.

“It’s my fault, sorry,” Tammy offered when Hannah glanced at her for help. “We were heading back to the dining room, but I wanted to tell her about all my ideas for the office and...we got a little carried away.”

Hannah, her heart still pounding, stepped closer to her partner again, her front pressed against Tammy’s side as she rubbed her shoulder lovingly. “She got so excited talking about her work,” she explained, hoping Jennie would buy their story. “Her passion is what made me fall in love with her in the first place, and I just…” She drew in a breath and let some of the heat from before leak into her voice. “I couldn’t help myself.”

Jennie watched them for a few more seconds before a knowing smile spread across her face. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve all been there,” she said, and Hannah let out a relieved sigh, feeling Tammy do the same. “I can’t tell you the amount of inappropriate places Edgar and I fooled around in right after we’d gotten engaged. It’s the excitement of it all, isn’t it?”

Laughing, Hannah let her forehead fall onto the side of Tammy’s head. “You’re probably right.” She made a show of leaning forward and kissing Tammy’s cheek, which gave her the cover she needed to retrieve the green-lit USB from the computer. She stood up and slipped the USB into her pocket. “Shall we?”

Tammy’s hand looped into her elbow, her fingers digging into the fabric. “Do you mind not telling Edgar I was making out with my fiancée in his office? Not the most professional first impression.”

Jennie smirked and gestured they go ahead of her. “It’ll be our little secret.”

\--

Hannah spent the rest of dinner scanning Tammy for any signs of what she was thinking. The other woman stayed in character, a ready smile on her face and a glass of wine in her hand. Her chestnut hair, folded over her shoulder in a messy plait, drew Hannah’s eyes to the gentle swell at the top of Tammy’s scoop-necked dress. 

Cursing internally, she shifted her focus to her chardonnay as she took a generous gulp. She just shamelessly checked out her subordinate right after crossing a line she’d been doing her best to avoid. _ It was the only way to avoid getting caught_, she justified. But reasoning aside, she couldn’t ignore the way her body still remembered the pressure of Tammy’s mouth on hers. Tammy’s eyes met hers across the table, and Hannah got confirmation that she wasn’t alone in thinking about that moment when Tammy’s gaze deliberately moved down to her lips.

Hannah felt that look all the way down to her toes. They may have gotten away with the USB tonight, but they were in a whole different kind of trouble now.


	7. Chapter 7

The air was thick in the silent car ride back to Hannah’s house. Hannah kept her attention studiously trained on the road, while Tammy leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Tammy was torn between trying to block out the memory--more importantly, the _ feeling_\--of Hannah’s frenzied kiss and trying to etch the moment into her mind forever. She had a sinking certainty that, no matter what she decided, the latter option would be what actually happened.

Opening her eyes, Tammy consciously measured her breaths, making sure they were as even as unobtrusive as possible. Hannah was driving and couldn’t afford to be distracted by her subordinate acting as if she were about to spontaneously combust right beside her. Tammy noticed Hannah’s distraction when they returned to dinner, feeling her skin burn wherever Hannah’s eyes fell. She noticed that when she met her boss’s gaze across the table, Hannah pulled her pink lip in with her teeth and her cheeks reddened ever so slightly. She noticed the confusion in the other woman’s countenance, but also the hint of heat that lurked behind her impossibly dark eyes. 

Normally, this would be when Tammy’s inner voice would admonish her for reading too much into things, that the desire in Hannah’s face was probably a trick of her imagination. But no voice floated through her head this time. The memory of Hannah’s fingers digging into her flesh, Hannah’s leg pushing between hers, Hannah’s lips slanting over hers and deepening the kiss entirely unnecessarily--Tammy’s inner voice had no means of denying that. The hunger was _ there_, and clearly Hannah had just realized it at dinner tonight. 

Hannah consumed all of Tammy’s senses in the dark car and completely robbed her of making even casual small talk. Tammy was afraid to talk at all for fear of her voice would betray her own want. She heard Hannah let a small puff of air fall past her lips as they pulled up to a red light. 

Not letting her gaze leave the stoplight for even a second, Hannah whispered, “I’m sorry, Gregorio.” Her tone was carefully neutral, not giving Tammy any hint as to what she was feeling. But her last name hit her in the gut. Sure, Hannah called her that all the time, but now it felt intentional. Like Hannah was trying to redraw the boundaries they’d completely destroyed tonight.

“We got what we came for,” Tammy exhaled, burying the disappointment as far down as it would go. “That’s what matters.”

Which probably meant this was Tammy’s last night in Hannah’s house, she realized as she tilted her head to the right and watched the lights pass her by once they started moving again. They could stop pretending. That was a good thing, right?

* * *

“So we got ourselves a problem,” Patton declared, wheeling himself into the squad room the next morning. Tammy looked up from her desk at his voice, noticing Hannah do the same out of the corner of her eye. Pride and LaSalle stopped their perusal of Jackson’s girlfriend’s financials and turned to face their resident tech expert.

“What’s that?” Tammy asked as she watched Sebastian trail behind Patton, his trademark perplexed expression firmly planted on his face.

“The Covingtons' records are clean,” Patton said. He transferred his tablet to the big screen, showing a long list of expenses and income that perfectly matched. “Completely above board, no indication of any weapons dealing funding to be found.”

Pride walked up to the screen, his brow furrowed. “Are you saying that we were barking up the wrong tree this whole time?”

_ If I blew up my working relationship with my _ boss _ over nothing, _ Tammy thought mutinously_, I’m going to be majorly pissed. _

Patton shook his head, bringing up the public records of the Covingtons’ charity fund. “That’s the thing. Edgar’s personal records don’t match the bank statements I found.”

“But, wait,” LaSalle interjected, “wouldn’t someone want to do it the other way if they were trying to hide their spending? Wouldn’t they _ want _ the bank to have the clean statements?”

“It’s actually incredibly difficult to manipulate bank account statements like this from the outside,” Sebastian explained. “It’s why most people launder money through front shops of some kind. It’s way easier to hide an unexplained influx or outflow of cash in a service-based store than in a bank where every deposit and withdrawal is accompanied with a digital signature and a security camera.”

“So then why don’t they match?” Tammy asked, knowing there were no extraneous businesses the Covingtons ran. 

Hannah’s low voice filtered across the room and sent a wave of shivers down Tammy’s spine. “Because the Covingtons don’t know they’re funding the weapons circle.” Tammy noticed the other woman didn’t look in her direction when she said this.

“You think someone is using their money without their knowledge?” Pride’s head swiveled to look at Hannah, who nodded solemnly before finally letting her eyes find Tammy’s.

“We met a banker at their house,” she said. Tammy’s eyes widened, not wanting to believe the people that had been the friendliest to them could have taken advantage of their friends like that.

“The Henleys,” Tammy gasped. “It fits, but man, I liked them.”

“Question is, how do we prove it?” Pride posed the question to the room, his hands on his hips. “All we have right now is an educated guess.”

Sebastian leaned against the edge of Tammy’s desk, tossing a stress ball he picked up from beside her computer into the air. “Easy, they already know Hannah and Tammy are new in town.” Tammy, knowing where he was going with this, wished she could kick him under her desk, but he was too far away for her to reach him. “They go meet him at his work to discuss investment opportunities, and we set them up with a dummy account that we can track.”

“Yeah, but I doubt he’d just immediately funnel their money to the dealers,” LaSalle commented, shaking his head. 

“You’re right,” Hannah said. “If he’s smart, he’d show us the return on our initial investments to get us to put down more funds.”

“So it’d be a little while longer of you two being undercover together,” Pride surmised. He peered at Tammy, who’d fallen glaringly quiet since the plan became apparent. “Everyone all right with that?”

Tammy’s eyes flitted across the office back to meet Hannah’s, who took a deep breath before dropping her attention back to the report on her desk. Tammy saw the guilt flash across the other woman’s face even as she tried to hide it. Somehow, over the last two weeks, she’d gotten exceptionally good at reading Hannah’s expressions. The fact that Hannah was so obviously flustered by yesterday’s events was surprisingly encouraging for the federal agent. “Yeah,” Tammy said, suddenly excited by the prospect of staying under. “We’re so close, we might as well see this through to the end.”

Pride turned his head back to his team leader, who sent him a tight-lipped smile and nod of assent. “Alright, it’s decided then. Patton, how quickly do you think you could set up that dummy account for us?”

* * *

Sitting in Hannah’s SUV outside the bank, the two women laced their wires under their shirts in silence. Hannah tugged the microphone up through the front of her blouse and tucked it into the strap of her bra, pointedly ignoring Tammy doing the same thing. Hannah missed the easy conversation between the two of them that was there even 48 hours ago. “You okay?” she murmured. 

Tammy flipped her hair over her shoulder as she looked to the woman to her left. A small, reassuring smile appeared on her face. “I’m good.” Tammy _sounded_ good, not at all like she was spinning to any degree like Hannah was. “You?”

Hannah was a lot of things, but good wasn’t one of them. Hearing how calm Tammy sounded did nothing but make her own nerves worse. Did what happened at dinner the night before last not affect Tammy the way it did Hannah? Did she not spend the last two nights tossing and turning, trying to reconcile their professional relationship and their incredibly _ un _professional kiss? Hannah stared at her partner, whose relaxed, heavy-lidded gaze sent Hannah’s heart stuttering in her chest. “Yep,” she said, keeping her voice as light as she could and shooting Tammy a smile. She looked down and straightened the glittering engagement ring on her finger, the weight of the band now familiar and comforting. “You ready to go?”

The agents climbed out of the car and straightened their clothes. Hannah’s heels clicked on the pavement as she rounded the front of the SUV to join Tammy, who wore an emerald green skirt and a pressed white blouse, the string of pearls she borrowed from Hannah hiding the mic peeking out from under her collar. Her lips curled into a grin and she offered Hannah her hand. “Let’s go invest some money.”

Tamping down the blush that threatened to bloom on her face, Hannah slipped her hand into Tammy’s, interlacing their fingers. She held Tammy’s gaze for probably longer than was strictly friendly, but there was a mischievous twinkle in the other woman’s eyes that Hannah found it difficult to look away from. As they walked into the bank together, Hannah did her best to concentrate on their operation, but the warmth coming from Tammy’s hand kept pulling her focus.

Entering the building, they were quickly greeted by a bank teller, who guided them down a hallway adjoining the lobby toward George Henley’s office. The older gentleman stood as soon as they knocked on the doorframe, ushering them in with a jovial grin. 

“I was pleasantly surprised to see your names on my appointments today,” he said, taking a seat behind his large oak desk. 

Hannah and Tammy settled themselves in the chairs across from him. “Well, we’ve been wanting to start investing together ever since we got engaged.” Hannah unbuttoned her blazer as she crossed her legs, falling all too easily back into her role as Tammy Russo’s fiancée. “When we met you at the Covingtons’ party, it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the ball rolling.”

George opened his leather-bound folder, his eyebrows raised in approval. “When I saw you were coming, I took a look at your current holdings here, and I’m flattered you thought me worthy for the job.” 

“Jennie and Edgar had nothing but great things to say about you, so we feel like our money will be safe with you,” Tammy said sweetly. She reached over and took hold of Hannah’s hand, which rested on her knee. “Hannah’s been a star at her job for years, and my family has been very fortunate with their hedge fund, so we’ve been looking for someone we can trust with our futures.”

As George walked them through potential investment opportunities, Hannah wondered if the mic under her collar could hear her pulse thundering at the feeling of Tammy’s thumb caressing the top of her hand. She shifted in her seat, the movement enough to prompt Tammy’s hand to fall away. When George showed them a graph on his computer of his projected returns, Tammy scooted forward in her seat, her hand now firmly on Hannah’s thigh in order to keep her balance. With no valid excuse to move again, Hannah feigned interest in George’s projections while she tried in vain to ignore the scent of Tammy’s shampoo and the heat of Tammy’s hand on her leg. 

Hannah had a sneaking suspicion Tammy was fully aware of what she was doing, but she couldn’t really call her out on it in front of George. Not to mention, Patton and Pride were probably listening to the whole interaction in the van across the street. She’d have to save her confrontation about her partner’s sudden playfulness for later. 

Unbidden, a mental image floated forward of that confrontation ending with Tammy’s hands exploring other parts of her body while her lips found the sensitive spot behind Hannah’s ear, and it robbed Hannah of her breath. Her mouth dry, she nodded along when Tammy asked her if she agreed with investing with George. Tammy’s hand lifted off her leg in order to sign the contract, and Hannah felt the air return to her lungs. 

She hoped George wouldn’t be as smart as she thought and would immediately invest in the weapons ring. She wasn’t sure she could handle this side of Tammy for much longer. She’d already crossed that line once, and she knew there was no going back to the way it was before two days ago. But Tammy didn’t seem to want to go back, and suddenly Hannah realized why the other woman was so calm in the car before. Hannah reached for the pen and signed her own contract, her mind racing. Tammy was calm because she _ wasn’t _ conflicted about her feelings the way Hannah was. She was crystal clear with her intentions, and while a small part of Hannah felt overwhelmed with relief that whatever was going on between them wasn’t one-sided, the larger, more rational part of her felt nothing but trepidation.

Her attraction to Tammy aside, she could never act on it. She was Tammy’s _ boss_, and she shouldn’t have even kissed her in the first place. Plastering on a fake smile, Hannah wanted to let out a pained groan. She’d really made a mess of things, hadn’t she?


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days, Hannah kept herself busy at the office. She went over all her reports from the cover operation with a fine-toothed comb, making sure no detail was left out--with one notable exception. While they waited for George Henley to move their money, the entire field office was dedicated to building their case against him. While Patton looked into his financials, Sebastian and Tammy--_Gregorio_, Hannah mentally corrected herself--dug into George’s life and past. Somewhere, there was a pressure point that these weapons dealers exploited, and they needed to find it if they were going to flip the investment banker to their side. 

Hannah felt more centered back at work, overseeing her field agents. She sent LaSalle to NOPD to get the rest of the files from their side of Jackson’s murder case, looking for anything they could potentially use to connect Jackson’s disappearance to the weapons ring. As the Alabaman agent departed, Hannah leaned against the edge of her desk, reveling in the feeling of normalcy returning to her life. 

The metal band of her engagement ring knocked against the heavy wood, and Hannah’s eyes flickered over to Tammy’s workstation. Hannah’s thumb pushed the ring back and forth on her finger, but her attention remained on the profiler, whose head was buried in personnel files with Sebastian. She knew that if another case came their way, they’d have to run two parallel investigations. They wouldn’t be able to dedicate their undivided attention to a case that was just waiting for their target to take the bait before they could arrest him. The chances that George Henley was going to immediately invest their money into the weapons ring were almost zero, meaning this sting could potentially go on for months. _ And _Hannah and Tammy would have to maintain their cover with the Covingtons for as long. Hannah tried to ignore how pleased she felt at the prospect. 

Thankfully, Naomi was back with her this week, adding another desperately needed dose of sanity to Hannah’s world. With this operation suddenly taking a turn for the longer, there was no way Hannah was going to let it interfere in her daughter’s life. _ Aside from Tammy also being in the house _, she thought, grateful the 10-year-old had taken a liking to the agent.

Tammy looked up from her desk then, giving Hannah a start. Hannah cursed internally when she realized she’d gotten completely lost in her thoughts while staring directly at the woman causing her so much turmoil. Tammy tilted her head back and raised her eyebrows as if to ask, “Everything okay?” Hannah, thankfully, was able to keep the heat from rising to her cheeks and just gave a small smile and nod. _ I’m fine_. Tammy understood and responded with a smile of her own before she turned her attention back to Sebastian as he showed her something in his file.

It was such an innocent exchange, one Hannah was sure had taken place dozens of times in the past year preceding this operation. But now she was decidedly aware of the warmth in her chest at the casual check-in. She remembered doing that with Ryan all the time when they were first married, enjoying the small ways they showed they cared for one another. She’d felt giddy constantly for the first year of their marriage partly due to those tiny reminders. How lucky had she been to have married this man who so obviously loved her? 

Those moments became increasingly rare as her career as a covert agent took off, and she hadn’t felt that kind of comfort since Naomi was probably 7 or 8. Until just now. 

Hannah straightened and rounded her desk to take a seat once again. She really couldn’t be thinking things like that about someone who worked under her. Workplace romances in general were something she tried to avoid as a policy. Hannah clicked open a report from Patton, all too aware that she’d already broken that policy. _ And clearly I’m going crazy because of it_, she thought to herself.

* * *

As Tammy sat at the dining table, quizzing Naomi on the US presidents and their most notable accomplishments, she couldn’t help but wonder how she’d gotten herself into this position. She could hear Hannah in the kitchen behind her making dinner, most likely unaware that her daughter enlisted Tammy to help her study for her test. The kid was smart, Tammy observed. Not to mention, warm and incredibly persuasive, just like her mother. 

Not only did she have excellent rote memory, but Tammy saw how Naomi would do her best to fit the facts and names into a story that made sense that helped her recall smaller details with ease. Tammy imagined she was a natural in science with that urge to understand, not just to remember. Hannah’s mind worked the same way, she’d noticed. 

“Who was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms in office?” Tammy asked, watching the young girl’s light green eyes screw up in concentration. 

“Grover Cleveland,” she said finally. 

Tammy high-fived Naomi with a grin. “You’re gonna rock that test tomorrow, no problem.” 

Naomi beamed at her excitedly. “Thanks for helping me study.” She took the flashcards from the agent and started stacking them back with other ones to put away. “I feel loads better about this test now.”

“Yeah, of course,” Tammy said as she gathered the stray papers from the table. “I’m always happy to help you with the history and social studies stuff. The math and science part I’m not so good at.”

Laughing, Naomi looked over Tammy’s shoulder. “Well, luckily, my mom’s got the math and science covered. Right, Mommy?”

Tammy turned to see Hannah leaning against the wall leading into the kitchen, her arms crossed, a warm look in her eyes and a dazzling smile on her lips. “Not that you really need it,” Hannah chuckled, shifting her gaze to Tammy.

Her heart stuttered at the affection in Hannah’s eyes, and she struggled to keep her tone light. “She didn’t really need me, either. She knew everything already.”

Naomi harrumphed at the insinuation. “I _ did _ need you, Tammy. And don’t listen to my mom. She’s the best study buddy.” She walked to Hannah and buried her face in her. “Studying’s way more fun with you around.”

Hannah’s expression softened as her arms came up to return the hug. Tammy watched a dozen different emotions flash across her boss’s face at the unintentional reminder of her previous absence in her daughter’s life. Tammy wondered if Hannah would ever be able to get past the guilt she so clearly felt about missing a year of Naomi’s life. “I love studying with you, too, baby,” she said softly. She leaned back to look into Naomi’s face, framing it with her hands. “Want some dinner?” Naomi nodded. “Alright, go wash your hands.”

The two agents were quiet as they set the table, Tammy sensing Hannah needed a few minutes to pull herself together before talking about anything else. Hannah laid out the silverware while Tammy poured water in the glasses, having quickly become acclimated to the layout of Hannah’s kitchen.

“You’re good with her,” Hannah whispered finally, not looking up from the table as she laid down the last fork. 

Tammy finished pouring water into the last glass and placed the pitcher in the center of the table. “She’s a great kid.”

Hannah nodded, only then letting her gaze meet Tammy’s, her shoulders relaxing a little as she thought about Naomi. “She’s amazing. I’m so proud of her.” The guilt in her eyes receded slightly. “It was really nice of you to help her study.”

Tammy waved her hand at the words. “Don’t even mention it.” 

When Naomi rejoined them and they’d seated themselves for dinner, Tammy was humbled by how readily the pre-teen allowed her into their family routine. While Naomi animatedly recounted her latest soccer practice, Tammy shared amused glances with Hannah across the table. She felt like an entire colony of butterflies had settled in her chest. 

This relaxed, happy Hannah was a version of her boss that she so rarely got to see. The three of them painted a cozy family picture tonight, Tammy noted wistfully. She could imagine herself sitting across from Hannah, laughing and talking with Naomi every night, and, while she’d railed against anything remotely domestic since her divorce years ago, that thought sounded incredibly enticing to the profiler. 

Giggling at her daughter’s imitation of her gruff coach, Hannah caught Tammy’s eye as if to make sure her guest was also enjoying herself. Naomi dropped her fork in her enthusiasm, and as she bent down to retrieve it, Hannah’s seemed to let herself keep staring at Tammy. Her eyes, sparkling with mirth, scanned Tammy’s face like she was drinking in the sight of her. The sound of the fork hitting Naomi’s empty plate jolted them both out of the moment, but as the three of them chatted and cleared the table, Tammy couldn't stop thinking about that look in Hannah’s eyes. 

Hannah _ absolutely _ felt what Tammy felt. Now if only Tammy could get the woman past her _ damn _ professional code of ethics. 

* * *

Hannah heaved a huge sigh of relief as she leaned against her closed door. The quiet sanctuary of her bedroom instantly comforted her, slowing her racing heartbeat. After an evening full of Tammy’s purposeful looks and light touches, Hannah wondered at how she hadn’t passed out yet. The entire process of cleaning up after dinner had Hannah’s nerves on edge. Somehow, Tammy kept finding ways where she had to navigate around Hannah, her hands inevitably finding their way to Hannah’s waist or back or hips in order to nudge her out of the way. The more Tammy flirted, the more Hannah’s anxiety ratcheted higher. And with her daughter in the room, no less! The woman was going to be the death of her, Hannah was sure of it.

* * *

“Guys, I think I found a picture of our shooter,” LaSalle announced, repressed excitement making his Alabaman drawl even more prominent. He strode into the center of the office and hit the remote to bring up a picture of a grizzly man in his mid-thirties with light brown hair, a tattoo under his left eye and a healed scar on his neck. 

Hannah exhaled heavily as she joined him, Sebastian, Tammy, and Patton in front of the monitor. They finally had a face of the man who’d killed their sailor. “Where’d you get this?”

LaSalle pointed forward at the pile of papers and folders on his desk. “NOPD’s files on Jackson’s murder,” he explained. “Surveillance footage saw this guy leaving the alley Jackson was found in about a day before we found Jackson’s body.” He pulled up the still from the security camera, the tattoo making the large figure easily identifiable. “And looking back to where Jackson was last confirmed to be seen a week and a half before then, you can see glimpses of him in the crowd.” Jackson had gone out in the French Quarter the evening he’d last been seen alive, but according to Wade, he had no alcohol in his system. 

Remembering her conversation with Wade, Hannah’d asked if that meant he’d gone to the French Quarter to meet someone rather than drink, which was their running theory. Wade had shaken her head sadly, saying there was no way to tell since he wasn’t killed immediately after that sighting. Time of death by her estimate was at least a day later at the earliest, more than enough time for the alcohol to leave his bloodstream. 

“Do we have a name?” Tammy asked grimly, her jaw set as she stared down their potential killer’s mugshot. 

Shaking his head, LaSalle said, “Not that I can find. That’s not a prison tat in our system, and the dude’s either somehow never been arrested or just came to the States.”

“What about any connection we can find to your banker?” Pride’s voice came from behind the group. They all turned to see their SAC depositing his briefcase and aviators on the table by the door. His pressed white shirt was rolled up at the sleeves already, despite it being mid-morning on a mild autumn day. 

Patton gestured for the NOPD file, which LaSalle obliged. “Give me an hour. If there’s a picture of this guy anywhere near the Henleys or places they go to regularly, I’ll find it.” 

“Sebastian, why don’t you go help Patton?” Pride suggested as the latter wheeled his way back to his computer station. 

When Sebastian had also left, Hannah smiled at her boss and greeted him. “Good morning. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

Sheer exhaustion fell over the older man’s face. “Truth is, I just need a place to hide from my ASAC for a couple of hours,” he said. “I thought I could help split up the work because we just got a new case.”

Disappointed, Hannah sighed and moved back to her computer to see her most recent email was likely the digital copy of the file in Pride’s hands. _ I didn’t want to have to divide the team right when we were getting somewhere with Jackson’s case_, she thought regretfully. “We could use the extra manpower definitely,” she nodded. “If Thompson gets mad at you, you can always tell them I asked for you to pinch-hit again since I probably shouldn’t be seen at any crime scenes while I’m undercover.”

“Which means I’m also benched,” Tammy added. 

“I guess that just leaves me.” LaSalle spread out his arms and let them fall back against his legs. 

Pride chuckled. “I’ll be glad to have you, Christopher.” While LaSalle prepared his kit at his desk, Pride leaned back to sit against Tammy’s desk. “How’s your case going?”

“Now that LaSalle may have found our killer, way better,” Hannah answered, crossing her arms across her chest. “It’ll give us more ammo to turn George Henley into to giving us specific names.” 

Tammy handed LaSalle the camera lens as she let out an exasperated, “Now, we just keep waiting for Henley to be an idiot and invest our money.”

* * *

After Pride and LaSalle left, the office felt much quieter. Like Tammy said, they were essentially stuck in a holding pattern. Patton and Sebastian were able to occupy themselves trying to connect their nameless gang member to George Henley, but Hannah couldn’t sit in the office and do nothing. Restless, she stood up from her desk and walked into the kitchen to make some tea. 

A few minutes later, she stood in front of the cabinet with the mugs, bobbing the steeping tea bag in and out of her steaming cup on the counter. She heard footsteps behind her, and her hand stilled when Tammy’s presence wafted over her. Tammy must have been standing not even a hair’s breadth away from actually touching Hannah’s back with her front as she slowly reached up to grab a mug from the shelf. Hannah’s eyes slid closed when she felt small puffs of air against the back of her neck. “Can I have some, too?”

Trying her best to control her body’s reaction--although she was fairly certain she was still breathing much heavier than normal--Hannah nodded and extended a hand to the tea rack in front of her. “What kind do you want?”

Tammy stepped slightly to one side so she could better see Hannah’s face, which was undoubtedly flushed with color as she kept her eyes trained on the boxes of tea. “Surprise me.”

Even though Tammy’d moved, she was just as close and just as utterly distracting as before. Determined to keep her composure despite her thundering heartbeat, Hannah plucked a bag from one of the boxes and deposited into Tammy’s empty mug. She miscalculated slightly, and the motion made her arm brush against Tammy’s breast. She couldn’t help looking to Tammy’s eyes after that, not sure what she was hoping for as a reaction.

Tammy’s teasing smile tightened for a fraction of a second and heat flashed in her eyes, which did nothing to help Hannah’s body’s own responses to the other woman’s proximity. “Sorry,” she breathed. 

Shaking her head, Tammy looked down at the tea bag and gave a dry chuckle, “Chamomile? Is that your way of telling me I need to chill?”

The meaning behind her question was crystal clear. This would have been the perfect opportunity to redraw the boundary that desperately needed redrawing. But, as Hannah watched Tammy’s eyes search hers for any signs of discomfort, she couldn’t bring herself to say yes. “It’s...this one tastes the best.” Her voice came out lower than she’d intended it to.

“Oh.” Tammy blinked, clearly surprised Hannah hadn’t told her to back off. The playful expression returned to her face. “Then thank you. I can’t wait to try it.” Hannah’s mouth went dry when Tammy’s gaze dropped to her lips. She wasn’t seriously going to try something in the off--

“Hey, guys, do you want--Oh,” Sebastian stopped short as he looked up from his phone to see Tammy stepping away from the counter. Hannah turned her head to her teacup, letting her hair hide her face for a second while she took a giant gulp to calm herself.

“What’s up, Sebastian?” Tammy asked as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. She reached for the kettle and poured it into her mug at a safe distance from Hannah, much to Hannah’s relief. 

“Uh, I can come back.” Sebastian looked back and forth between the two women, already trying to inch out of the kitchen. 

Hannah flipped around and leaned her back against the counter holding her cup. “Now’s fine, Sebastian,” she said patiently, appreciative of the interruption. “You wanted to ask us something?”

Reluctantly, Sebastian held up the online order page on his phone. “I was going to see if you wanted anything from Mojo, but you already made tea so I’m just going to assume you’re good for now.”

“Wow, you could be a detective.” Tammy rolled her eyes and lightly punched his arm with the hand that wasn’t holding her tea. 

Rubbing his arm, Sebastian beseeched Hannah. “Can you please tell her to chill with the physical abuse?”

Hannah laughed, shaking her head in defeat. “I would, but I think I hear my phone ringing.” Sebastian’s betrayed expression broke the last of the tension in the room, sending more laughter filtering through the room as Tammy put down her mug and let loose on her roommate.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

“So do we really just sit here and do nothing while we wait for Henley to bite?” Tammy asked, frustration lacing her voice. Sitting atop her desk, she kicked her legs back and forth impatiently. She knew the situation hadn’t changed since Pride and LaSalle started investigating their own case yesterday, but the prospect of spending the whole day in the office twiddling her thumbs made her antsy. 

Sebastian nodded with a shrug. He leaned back in his chair and started twisting the blocks in his rubik’s cube. “Seems like it, and I’m right there with you while Patton helps Pride and LaSalle.” He didn’t seem nearly as upset by the prospect of sitting in the office all day as Tammy was, but, then again, he used to spend all of his time in a lab or on a computer. This wasn’t too different from his old life before he became an agent. “Where’s Hannah? Shouldn’t she be here treading water with us?”

“Naomi’s school had a delayed start today so the teachers could go vote, so she’ll be in after she drops her off.”

“I always thought that was a weird choice,” Sebastian mused, “giving kids time off on election day when their parents don’t get guaranteed time to vote or deal with childcare.” 

Tammy chuckled. “You’re telling me. I’d get every election day off in school, and before I was old enough to be home alone, that meant I would go with my mom to work. And she never got a chance to vote.” 

“Even if it’s just local elections this year, Election Day should be a national holiday for people who actually are eligible to vote.” He punctuated his last word by clicking the last block into place and tossing it to Tammy. “Piece of cake.” 

Catching the cube, Tammy rolled her eyes. “Is it really an accomplishment the six hundredth time you’ve done it?”

The door slid open, and Hannah walked into the office. “Good morning,” she greeted them on the way to her desk. 

“Morning,” Sebastian responded. “How’s Naomi? She go vote?”

Laughing, Hannah shrugged out of her leather jacket and draped it over the back of her chair. “Oh yes, she was first in line at the polls.” Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a heavy paper card. “I got an interesting piece of mail this morning.”

Tammy jumped off her desk and crossed the room to look at the proffered card. Her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. “A gala?” She looked at the date and then raised her eyes to her boss. “It says it’s tomorrow night.”

“There was no postmark on the envelope, looks like someone hand-delivered it,” Hannah supplied. “But Jennie included a note inviting the two of us to the annual benefit for the Covington’s charity fund.”

“That’s awfully last-minute,” Sebastian said, standing from his chair and walking to peer over Tammy’s shoulder. “They had to have been planning this benefit for months and known the guest list way in advance. Why add two more guests the day before?”

“Jennie’s note said her parents got caught up in Europe and won’t make it back in time, so the plates were already paid for, I guess.” Hannah plucked the card back from Tammy. “It would probably look bad if their own table had two empty seats at it.”

“But is there any point to us going?” Tammy asked. “I doubt it would help us get the Henleys.”

Sighing, Hannah took a seat behind her desk and looked up at her two agents. “No, it wouldn’t help us close the case, but we do have to keep up appearances until we can.” Tammy’s eyes narrowed at the reluctance in Hannah’s voice, which seemed to be in direct contradiction to what she was suggesting. “We can’t just turn off our friendship with Jennie now that we’ve invested with George. She’d know something was up.”

“And hey,” Sebastian added, excitement lacing his words, “this gives you something to do while you wait for the investment to come back.”

Tammy glanced over her shoulder at her roommate, recognizing his eagerness from their conversation last week. He was way too invested in the potential whatever between Tammy and Hannah. Even if Tammy was also invested, Sebastian’s interest made the reason behind Hannah’s concerns all too apparent. If Hannah picked up on his thoughts, she wouldn’t think twice about setting clear boundaries instead of leaving things intentionally ambiguous the way she had in the kitchen yesterday. Tammy wished there was a way she could subtly signal her best friend to chill out without Hannah noticing. 

Taking back the invitation, Tammy scanned it for details this time. “Ugh, it’s black tie.”

Hannah furrowed her brow in thought. “Hm, that may be tricky. I don’t know that the evidence storage locker would have the kind of wardrobe we’ll need for an event like this.”

“There’s gotta be a couple black-tie appropriate outfits there,” Sebastian scoffed. 

“Yeah, but probably all out of season,” Hannah murmured. “Women’s black-tie event fashion is unfortunately not as stable as men’s.”

“Would it be that noticeable?” 

“Oh, Sebastian, you poor baby,” Tammy sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder in resignation. “The sooner you acknowledge that you will never understand the power dynamics behind women’s fashion, the sooner you’ll find a woman who’ll actually date you.”

“Hey!”

“We need to go shopping,” Tammy declared, patting Sebastian’s shoulder as if that settled the matter. Then, as if she’d just heard herself, she grimaced. 

Chuckling, Hannah leaned back in her chair. “Tammy’s right, Sebastian. We’ve gotta get clothes from this season.” She groaned. “Let’s see if I can get Pride to authorize the budget for that.”

* * *

Canal Place bustled around Hannah and Tammy as they slowly made their way from storefront to storefront. Hannah did her best to focus on the task at hand, finding them dresses for the gala, but all she could think about was how this was the first time she and Tammy had been together for any prolonged amount of time unchaperoned in days. She felt thankful, at least, that they were in public. 

“What do you think are the odds I can get away with a jumpsuit again?” Tammy asked beside her, pointing into one of the storefronts.

Looking at the ensemble Tammy indicated, Hannah couldn’t stop the chortle that bubbled forth at the gaudy glittery jumpsuit in the window. “Very slim if you plan on going dressed as a disco ball,” she said. “If you can find a less...shiny one, I don’t see why not. But I think we’ll have to go a little more high-end than Express.”

Pouting, Tammy turned away from the store. “I guess you’re right. God, I hate shopping.” She scrunched her nose. “Especially at those bougie stores that just think you’re in the wrong place.”

“I promise I’ll try to avoid those kinds of stores. They truly are the worst.” Hannah waved Tammy through the doors to Saks, her hand falling to the small of Tammy’s back for a split-second before she remembered herself. 

“I don’t know that I’ve ever done a purely social undercover op like this before,” Tammy mused as she shuffled through the nearest rack of dresses, not seeming to care that they were in the business section. 

Hannah rolled her eyes and tugged her gently by the elbow to the formal area. After depositing her companion in front of the appropriate rack, Hannah started looking for her own outfit. “I would every once in a while back in Oman, when I was deep cover.” She picked out a deep purple gown and draped it over her arm. “It’s challenging in its own way, because you’re just there to keep up relationships. You want to relax because you’re not doing active intel, but...it gets easy for lines and motivations to blur.” She thought back to Asif, her mark, whom she’d accidentally befriended. “Depending on the situation, it can be more dangerous than the active ops.” Hannah’s eyes clouded over, remembering how painful it was when Asif ended up being one of the men Zelko sent to kill her and her family once her cover was blown.

“Yeah, but I doubt tomorrow night will be like that,” Tammy said, her back to Hannah. Unaware of the dark turn in Hannah’s thoughts, she plowed on, plucking a few dresses off the rack as she talked. “Honestly, now that Jennie and Edgar are essentially cleared, this really does just feel like a social visit.” She turned around and dropping a golden dress onto Hannah’s arm. “You should try this on. I think it’ll look great on you.”

Fingering the metallic fabric, Hannah’s lips quirked upwards. “You’re really into the subtle looks today,” she said dryly. 

“Hey, this one’s not over the top, just trust me.”

“Okay, okay, I trust you,” Hannah surrendered with a laugh. Tammy nodded in approval, her smile brightening when she found a deep black jumpsuit that looked like it was made of tuxedo material, a sight that sent another round of laughter coursing through Hannah. “Shall we go try these on?”

* * *

Hannah spun around in the mirror in the fitting room, smoothing the gold dress down as the hem fell to the floor. Hannah whistled. Tammy had a good eye. This dress was a little flashy but elegant, and it fell perfectly on her, the high halter neck counterbalanced by the backless style. Looking over her shoulder, she adjusted the two straps that secured the top around her torso, wondering if maybe having almost her entire back showing was too much for this event. _ No_, Hannah thought, _ knowing Jennie, she’ll probably go for something she feels fantastic in over something conservative. She’d probably love this dress_. Appropriate or not, Hannah had to admit just how much _ she _loved the dress. 

“I think I found my outfit,” she called out to Tammy, who was in the dressing room right beside hers. 

“Me, too,” Tammy called back, “but I’m not showing you until tomorrow.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I want it to be a surprise,” Tammy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

“It’s not like a wedding dress, Tammy,” Hannah chuckled. “It won’t be bad luck if I see you in your dress before the party.”

“Then can I see your dress?”

Hannah paused, not sure if she was ready for Tammy to see her in such a dress yet without the whole look in place. A lot of skin was showing, after all, and under bad fluorescent lighting at that. She couldn’t deny the not-so-small part of her that wanted Tammy to not be able to take her eyes off her in this dress. “Okay, I get your point.” 

She quickly changed back into her street clothes, emerging from the fitting room and colliding with Tammy as she did the same, sending her armload of rejected dresses tumbling down to the floor. “Oh, crap, sorry, Hannah.” Hannah felt Tammy kneel beside her to help her pick up the heap of clothes, their shoulders brushing together almost constantly as they fixed the dresses on the hangers and folded them over their laps. 

“No worries,” Hannah said, her mind growing mildly foggy. Part of her felt ready to panic, but this closeness...felt natural. Tammy wasn’t deliberately teasing her, just helping her out. Tammy actually had gone back to acting normally all day, like the kiss and all that took place after hadn’t even occurred. Hannah couldn’t _ quite _ quash the disappointment that Tammy seemed to have backed off despite Hannah’s non-refusal in the kitchen the day before. _ I should be feeling relieved_, she admonished herself, _ not upset that my subordinate is no longer trying to flirt with me_. 

As the two of them straightened and left their unwanted dresses on the return rack, Hannah fought the urge to take Tammy’s hand. She already missed the warmth of the other woman's arm pressing into hers, never mind that it had only been there for all of a minute and a half. “Well, we found our outfits way earlier than I expected us to, and we still have some time to kill before I have to go pick up Naomi from school,” Hannah started, not entirely ready to end their outing. “Want to grab a bite to eat somewhere?”

Tammy’s eyes found hers, her signature half-grin adorning her face. “Yeah, we actually passed this Italian place on the way here that I’ve been meaning to try.”

“Great,” Hannah smiled. She felt like she was fourteen again with how her heart leapt into her throat when she asked Tammy to lunch, even as platonic an invitation as it was. She was a grown woman, for God’s sake, and yet here she was, reading into every little action of a woman she absolutely should not be thinking about this much. _ But it’s just lunch_, _ right? We have to eat anyway. _ “Let’s get out of here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize it's been really heavy Hannah-POV lately. I promise it'll balance out. This was more a point A to point B chapter unfortunately, but I promise the good stuff is coming!


	10. Chapter 10

Tammy took a deep breath, steeling herself before she knocked on Hannah’s bedroom door. As silly as it felt since she’d gotten ready just down the hall from her boss, Tammy couldn’t quash the butterflies in her stomach that acted like she was picking Hannah up for a date, rather than for work. 

_ Not even just a date, _Tammy noted as she glanced down at her deep black strapless jumpsuit, the sweetheart neckline lined to look like tuxedo lapels. _ I feel like I’m picking her up for the goddamn prom. _ Vaguely nauseated, but mostly antsy to get the night started, she let her knuckles rap against the wood. 

“Just a second!” Hannah called ahead. Tammy ran a hand along the side of her head, smoothing down any strays from her curled ponytail. A few moments later, the door swung open, revealing a sight that made Tammy’s breath leave her lungs in a rush. Hannah reminded her of a greek goddess, the golden material falling on her as if it weighed nothing and making her olive skin glow. Her shoulder-length hair was swept to one shoulder in sleek waves, framing the shy smile that adorned her face. “Hey,” Hannah said softly, her dark eyes scanning Tammy from head to toe. “You look beautiful.”

The butterflies were all the way in Tammy’s throat. “Thanks,” she croaked, clearing her throat before continuing, “So do you.” _ Work, Tammy, this is for work. _Shaking herself out of her stupor, she smiled and offered her hand with an extravagant bow. Just like the first time they went to a party together, it had the intended effect of breaking the tension and eliciting a small laugh from Hannah. “Shall we?” 

A warm hand enveloped hers. “Let’s go.” 

* * *

The Covingtons spared no expense, Hannah mused to herself as she and Tammy walked into the gilded ballroom. A live jazz band played softly in one corner in front of a dozen couples milling around on the hardwood floor, the lilting music floating overhead to mix with the gentle hum of multiple conversations. “Not bad,” she whispered.

Tammy nodded, leaning closer. “I kinda feel bad leaving Naomi at home with just leftovers and Netflix now.”

Laughing, Hannah glanced at the woman holding her arm. “She’ll be fine. Ryan said he could swing by for a movie night to keep her company.”

“You two sure seem to have figured out the whole co-parenting thing,” Tammy observed as they filtered through the tables. Hannah recognized some of the same people they’d met at the previous fundraiser, dressed to the nines. 

“For all of our issues, we both agreed we couldn’t let it affect Naomi,” Hannah said. “She’s got to know we’re both always going to be there for her.” 

“Very mature of you both,” Tammy hummed, tilting her head to the center table. “That’s probably us.” She slipped her hand out of the crook of Hannah’s elbow and slid it down to grab her hand, tugging Hannah along toward the table where Jennie and Edgar Covington stood. 

Jennie caught sight of them over her husband’s shoulder. She wore a floor-length, rich red wrap gown, the waist cinched with a blush belt. Her golden hair was up in a tousled bun, loose strands framing her delighted smile. “Tammy, Hannah,” she greeted with a kiss to both of their cheeks, “I’m so thrilled you could make it.”

“Of course, thank you for inviting us.” Tammy kept her hand wrapped around Hannah’s as she returned Jennie’s embrace. Edgar, in a sharp tuxedo, extended a friendly nod to the newcomers. “So sorry to hear your parents couldn’t, though.”

Jennie waved her off, accepting her glass of champagne from Edgar, who’d held it dutifully when she saw the two agents. “They do this every year and leave a sizable donation to make up for it.”

“We’ve started to look at it like a little tradition,” Edgar added, his deep voice as relaxed as his stance. “It gives us some wiggle room to invite new friends such as yourselves.”

“Well, then, I’m glad we were able to keep up the old ways,” Tammy said graciously.

Hannah smiled and leaned forward into Tammy’s arm, her free hand resting on Tammy’s shoulder. “Jennie, everything looks lovely. You really outdid yourself.”

“Me? What about you?” Jennie scoffed, eyeing Hannah’s gold dress up and down with envy. “That dress is amazing.” Hannah felt a squeeze of her hand, and she looked down to see Tammy just shy of beaming. She could practically hear the “_I told you so” _ swimming in her triumphant gaze.

Feeling her cheeks growing warm, Hannah let out a small laugh. “Thank you. Tammy really deserves the credit for this, though. She sure knows how to pick ‘em.”

“The clothes and the women,” Tammy murmured in her ear, sending even more blood rushing into Hannah’s face. She met Tammy’s eyes for a second, noticing the desire that flashed in them before turning back to their hosts as Edgar spoke, heart pounding in her chest.

“You both truly are a vision.” He offered an arm to Tammy. “Shall I accompany you to the bar for a drink?”

* * *

All throughout dinner, Tammy had difficulty focusing on anything other than Hannah. When the lights dimmed for the speeches, she used the cover to examine her companion’s profile. She just..._ stunned _Tammy without even trying. The way her eyes sparkled when she smiled; or when her voice got lower when she was tired; or how she seemed to take just a few more deep breaths when Tammy was around, Tammy was absolutely riveted. She couldn’t help herself, teasing her boss with small touches and whispered words, watching for Hannah’s face to flush or eyes to darken, which they did with incredible consistency. 

It was odd being undercover without the need to collect intel. It freed up all of Tammy’s brainspace to “maintaining her cover” by relentlessly flirting with her fake-fiancée. Hannah, ever the covert agent, happily played along, but Tammy could feel the tension in her touch. Hannah was definitely enjoying herself, too, the freedom their cover gave her to lean into their supposedly innocent physical affections. For every time Tammy rested an arm on the back of Hannah’s chair, Hannah somehow found herself scooting her chair closer into Tammy’s warmth. For every intentional brush of Tammy’s leg against Hannah’s under the table, Hannah’s hand searched out Tammy’s on top of it, fiddling with her fingers as they talked with the Covingtons and their friends. 

The Henleys also sat at their table, Elaine once again just on the other side of tipsy. She peppered Hannah and Tammy with questions about their wedding plans while George watched from beside her, amusedly cutting into his steak. “Are you going to have the wedding here or back in New York?”

“Well, New Orleans is our home now,” Tammy said, looking to her right to her partner, who sent her an encouraging wink as she ate a piece of her salmon. “We decided it wouldn’t feel right to get married anywhere else.”

“Oh! Have you started looking at venues yet?” Elaine’s food lay abandoned, half-eaten on her plate, in favor of her chardonnay. George quietly nudged her to also take a sip of her water.

“Not really, not yet,” Hannah denied. “I’ve been so busy with the new office, and Tammy was focused on setting up our new house. We haven’t really had the time to do much planning yet.”

“But you’re already planning your lives and futures together, from what Georgie tells me,” Elaine said excitedly, “and that’s what really matters.”

“Ah, yes, we’re in good hands,” Hannah smiled, her gaze shifting to the banker. 

“And I promise not to let you down, but tonight’s not about work, dear,” George said. “It’s a party!” He raised his whiskey in tribute. 

Elaine took the cue to deflect any further shop talk. “What about other plans for the future?”

“What do you mean?” Tammy asked.

“Do you two want kids?” Elaine prompted eagerly. Hannah and Tammy both stiffened, thinking of the sweet 10-year-old watching movies at home. Tammy felt Hannah’s anxiety ratchet higher, no doubt worried that somehow her daughter would be caught in the crosshairs again. “I imagine it would be a bit of a complicated process for you, but there really is no greater joy.”

Squeezing Hannah’s hand reassuringly, Tammy spoke for both of them. “Absolutely,” she affirmed, her thumb stroking Hannah’s softly. “There are so many ways to have a family, now, but I just can’t help imagining a beautiful little Hannah running around the house.” Hannah’s eyes found hers, the skin around them no longer quite so tight. 

“I have always wanted a daughter,” Hannah agreed, her shoulders relaxing as she remembered no one knew about Naomi. Tammy kept rubbing her hand, grounding her and keeping her from going back to Oman. Hannah put her other hand over their clasped ones, grateful for the support. 

“We have a son,” Elaine said, pulling out her phone. Her lock screen was a family picture of her, George, and a teenaged boy. He was the spitting image of his father. “He’s fifteen and a handful, but we couldn’t be prouder of him.”

“Made the varsity baseball team his sophomore year,” George boasted. “Youngest in a decade.”

While Hannah made sure to look suitably impressed, Tammy heard the music change. “Finally! The dancing’s starting.” She placed her napkin on the table beside her plate and tugged Hannah up with her. “Come on, we’re dancing.”

Hannah barely had enough time to apologize to the Henleys for their abrupt departure before Tammy twirled her onto the dance floor. Tammy watched the surprise on Hannah’s face settle into a small smile. Tammy brought her closer, her free hand finding its way around Hannah’s back, the warm skin there making Tammy’s fingers itch to explore. 

Hannah’s breath hitched, but she hid it well. If Tammy hadn’t been looking for it, she may have missed it. “This is unexpected,” Hannah said, her voice soft. Their intertwined hands rested between their chests, and Hannah brought her other arm up to loosely drape around Tammy’s neck. 

For as much as Tammy craved Hannah’s touch, it still sent her for a loop feeling Hannah’s arm on the bare skin of her back, feeling Hannah’s fingers fiddling with the small hairs at the nape of her neck. She almost forgot to sway from side to side to the music until she felt Hannah starting to lead. “What’s unexpected about it?” she responded a little more breathily than she’d intended. “No charity gala worth its salt is not going to have dancing.”

Hannah’s low laugh sent goosebumps racing across her skin. “I think you just wanted to get out of the wedding-themed game of 20 questions we were stuck in back there.” 

“You caught me.” Tammy shrugged, her hand sliding higher on Hannah’s back as they moved to the music. “Besides, talking to you is more fun, and it seemed like this was the only way we’d get any privacy.”

Tilting her head forward, Hannah looked down at her hand still enveloped by Tammy’s. Her engagement ring glittered between them. “This might be too close, Tammy,” she whispered, regret plain in her voice.

Tammy stepped in even closer, her fingertips digging slightly into Hannah’s back to get her attention. “I’d say we’re just close enough to prove we’re in love and excited to get married,” Tammy answered. She refused to let Hannah look away, their noses almost touching. “We have to sell it after what Jennie saw at her house.”

Hannah stopped dancing, standing stock still as she stared at the profiler. There it was. She’d finally given voice to the kiss that irrevocably changed their relationship, something both of them had silently agreed to avoid. But Tammy didn’t care anymore. She was having a harder and harder time keeping her feelings--and her hormones--in check around the woman. _ Especially _ when she could tell that Hannah was, too.

“I, uh, need to go to the bathroom,” Hannah said, pulling away from Tammy and hurriedly making her way off the dance floor. 

“Everything okay?” Tammy looked to her left to see Jennie and Edgar dancing a few feet away, Jennie looking concernedly at Hannah’s retreating back. 

“Yeah, she just isn’t feeling well,” Tammy said with a polite smile. “I’ll go make sure she’s okay.”

* * *

Leaning against the countertop, Hannah let her forehead drop against the cool surface of the mirror. _ Get a grip, Khoury_, she chided herself. She tried to calm her pounding heart with slow deep breaths, but the sound of the bathroom door opening made her look up. In the reflection, she saw Tammy in the doorway. “I just...need a minute, Tammy.”

Tammy took her time checking for other occupants in the three-stall bathroom before heading back to the main door and locking it. “Yeah, well, you’re not going to do that alone.”

Straightening, Hannah turned to face the other woman. “Why not?” She struggled to keep her tone even, frustration and anticipation making her tremble. “What do you expect is going to happen here?”

Coming to lean against the other end of the counter, Tammy simply said, “Ideally, a continuation of what happened in Edgar’s office.”

Hannah blinked at Tammy’s bluntness. She pushed off from the counter, pinching the bridge of her nose as she walked into the center of the room. “I--I know we’ve gotten closer these past few weeks, but we crossed a line that night,” she said with every ounce of professionalism she could muster. “That can’t happen again.”

“Easier said than done,” Tammy said from behind her. The sound of her footsteps telling Hannah she, too, had left her post at the counter. Hannah turned around once again, seeing a determined look on the brunette’s face. “I quite enjoyed crossing that line, and I’m pretty sure you did, too.”

“I’m your boss.” Hannah backed up as much as she could in the small marble bathroom, coming up against the closed door. Meanwhile, her supposed subordinate slowly stalked toward her, her heels clicking with every step.

“So?” Tammy intertwined their fingers against the bathroom door, and Hannah wondered if the other woman could feel her racing pulse. 

“So? It’s sexual harassment if I start anything with you.”

Tammy shot her a wicked grin and drew even closer, eyes almost glowing with excitement at what Hannah had just unwittingly admitted. “Then you won’t _ start _ anything, but there’s no rule against you continuing it.”

Hannah felt her mouth run dry. With Tammy consuming her senses, Hannah felt her resolve waver dangerously. “Continuing what?” she asked, her voice lower than it usually was. 

Tammy’s eyes darkened. “Continuing this.” And she sealed her lips over Hannah’s, drinking her in in a way that made Hannah’s head spin. 

Whatever residual restraint Hannah had left evaporated the second Tammy’s lips touched hers. Her hands were still immobilized by her sides, but she pushed forward with her mouth, seeking the warmth in Tammy’s. Tammy took the final step forward and pressed herself flush against Hannah’s body, sending delicious flames surging through Hannah from every place she touched. Tammy didn’t hesitate to open her mouth, capture Hannah’s lower lip, and suck, pulling a guttural moan from the back of Hannah’s throat as she did so. Hannah’s fingers clenched around Tammy’s hands from the intensity of it all. Not to be outdone, Hannah tilted her head and let her tongue delve into Tammy’s mouth, and while it had the intended effect of making Tammy press in even closer with an exquisite sound of her own, it only served to make Hannah ache even more. She wanted to use her hands, but Tammy stubbornly kept them down against the door, using her leg to aid in her aim to pin Hannah to the heavy wood. When Tammy’s thigh--intentionally or not--rubbed against Hannah’s core, Hannah couldn’t stop the whimper that fell past her lips. 

Finally, after what felt both like an eternity and a split-second, Tammy released her lips. The two women gasped for breath against each other, neither in any hurry to move from their current position. Hannah’s entire body burned, desperate to get back to what Tammy had restarted. Her brain was in no better state. It was like she’d forgotten how to think--again. Just like in Edgar Covington’s office. 

Tammy disentangled their hands, sliding her hands up Hannah’s arms to rest on her shoulders. She smoothed down a few stray hairs that escaped Hannah’s side-swept waves. “I don’t want to stop what’s happening between us,” she murmured, her voice husky. 

Her mind clearing a little bit, Hannah leaned her head back against the door. “I...don’t want to either, Tammy, but I could get fired over this. My career would be over.”

“Then we keep it a secret,” Tammy offered, placing feather-light kisses along Hannah’s jawline and sending shivers down Hannah’s spine, which Tammy definitely felt. “We have the cover of this case for a little while at least, and no one at the office needs to know.”

Hannah struggled to keep her thoughts straight with the feeling of Tammy’s lips on her skin threatening to pull her under once again. “You wouldn’t be able to tell Sebastian.” 

Tammy stopped her ministrations and pulled back just enough to look Hannah in the eye. “Then I won’t tell Sebastian,” she said seriously. “I just want you not to run from this before we’ve had a chance to really explore it.”

There was no doubt in Hannah’s mind that Tammy meant what she said. Still, she was terrified. All it took was one misstep to blow up her whole life. But the louder part of her insisted she listen to Tammy. She’d been going out of her mind since their first kiss, and if she didn’t do something about it, she knew she’d spend the next however many weeks or months regretting it. 

Slowly, Hannah raised a hand to Tammy’s face, her fingertips tracing her lips. “This is a bad idea.”

A devilish smirk spread under Hannah’s fingers, and she glanced up to see sheer delight dancing in Tammy’s eyes. “A fantastic bad idea.” She leaned in to capture Hannah’s lips once more only to be interrupted by a tentative knock. 

“Um, Hannah? Tammy? Are you in there?”

Jennie.

Again.

Tammy changed course and rested her forehead against Hannah’s shoulder. “Hi, Jennie,” she called out, letting her body weight rest fully against Hannah. “Yes, we’re in here.”

One last, fleeting look, and they both pushed off from the door. Tammy unlocked and opened the door while Hannah straightened her dress. Jennie stood there, a knowing look in her eyes. “Everything okay?”

“Yep, Hannah’s feeling better now,” Tammy said, trying to suppress the laughter that wanted to escape. 

Jennie waited a moment before rolling her eyes and smiling. “So is this just your guys’s thing? One of you gets ‘sick’ and then you sneak off and make out?”

Hannah was the first one to lose her battle with her laughter, although her face was so red it reached her ears. “You do have a knack of catching us doing that,” she said, her hand seeking out Tammy’s once more. “Sorry, _ again_.”

With a put-upon sigh, Jennie stepped forward and tugged her and Tammy along with her. “I guess I can forgive you, but only if you come back out and dance with me.”

* * *

Hannah tiptoed through the quiet house, gently tugging Tammy along behind her. After another hour of energetic--and handsy--dancing, their complaining feet demanded they retire. Not wanting to wake up Naomi, they slipped off their heels and left them at the door, silently padding through the dark living room to the kitchen. Ryan sat at the table, drinking tea and grading papers. “Hey,” Hannah whispered, dropping Tammy’s hand as soon as they were visible. “Thanks again for watching Naomi.”

Ryan looked up with a tired smile. “You never have to thank me for spending time with our daughter.” He finished off his tea and stood, putting away his papers. “Have a nice evening?”

Hannah nodded. “You?”

“Watched a rom-com and ordered Thai food,” Ryan supplied. “There’s extra in the fridge for you.”

“Thanks, you didn’t have to do that.” Hannah felt a little awkward having Tammy watch her having this conversation with her soon-to-be ex-husband. 

Ryan slung his laptop case on his shoulder. “It was no problem, really. We ordered way too much.” He leaned forward and placed a cordial kiss on Hannah’s cheek. “Goodnight, Hannah.” He looked at Tammy and said the same to her. He was just about to the door when he stopped and turned back to them. “I almost forgot. Someone from your office came by to drop off that file.” He pointed to a manila folder on the kitchen counter. 

Thanking Ryan once again, Hannah walked over to the counter and opened the file. Tammy followed suit. In the file was the man LaSalle had identified in the case photos of Jackson’s murder. Patton finally found a match, apparently. A Russian drug dealer by the name of Igor Ivanov’s mugshot stared up at them. “Looks like we found our killer,” Tammy exhaled, reaching around Hannah to flip to the next page. “Says here he made the jump from drugs to weapons when he relocated to the States a few years ago, worked his way up to the top of the food chain.”

“So how did he come into contact with George Henley?” Hannah asked, not really expecting an answer. Their social night out was over, and reality came crashing back down on her. Their missing sailor had been murdered by a kingpin in illegal weapons dealing, and Hannah had spent the last hour vaguely wishing the case would go on for another few months so she could have a reason to be publicly affectionate with Tammy. “God, Tammy, what did we get ourselves into?”

Tammy’s hand found hers and made her relax her deathgrip on the folder. “This doesn’t change anything,” she insisted. “We’re going to work the case like usual, and you’re not going to freak out and avoid looking at me for days again.”

Hannah steadied herself as she listened to Tammy’s voice. She was right, but Hannah would probably need reminding several times over the next few days. “You’re very stubborn, you know that?”

“I know, it’s one of my most charming attributes,” Tammy said slyly. Squeezing her hand one last time, Tammy pulled her in for a soft kiss. It didn’t last very long, but Hannah still felt lightheaded when they separated. “Let’s get some sleep so we’re ready for tomorrow, okay?”

Nodding, Hannah walked up the stairs with Tammy in tow. Hannah’s bedroom was right at the top of the stairs, so she turned back to her partner--her...something more than a partner. “Goodnight, Tammy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Tammy smiled softly at her and brushed her arm briefly, knowing they couldn’t risk Naomi seeing them. “Goodnight, Hannah. See you in the morning.” 

Hannah waited until Tammy made it to her room before closing her own bedroom door, resting her forehead against it. 

_ Well, now I’ve gone and done it_, she thought to herself, unable to quell the giddy fluttering in her chest. _ Okay, Gregorio, we’ll see how this goes. _


	11. Chapter 11

A swell of noise rang through the bleachers as the ball Naomi kicked soared right through the goalie’s hands to hit the back right corner of the net. Hannah cheered for her daughter enthusiastically, glowing with pride. Tammy smiled at how happy Hannah looked in that moment. “She’s a natural,” Tammy said, clapping. 

Hannah beamed, her eyes leaving the field to find Tammy’s. “I love watching her play.” A wistful look fell across her face. “Makes me miss it sometimes.”

“You used to play?” 

Returning her gaze to watching her daughter, Hannah nodded. “All through high school and college.”

“Who knew Hannah Khoury was actually a jock,” Tammy teased, bumping shoulders with Hannah, knowing her overly humble boss rarely talked about her own accomplishments. Hannah laughed, returning the gesture. All too conscious of the other parents in the stands, not to mention Naomi thirty feet away, Tammy let herself be satisfied with that fleeting contact. 

“Thanks for coming today,” Hannah said, digging her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket to ward off the chill of the morning autumn air. “You didn’t have to.”

Tammy leaned in and lowered her voice so she wouldn’t be overheard. “And leave you to watch the game alone, having to fend off Jessica’s dad all on your own?” The man in question sat two rows down from them, every once in a while throwing back a friendly smile at Hannah. “Fat chance.”

“I swear, he’s not as predatory as you make him sound,” Hannah said. “He asked me out for coffee _ one time_.” 

“Yes, well I officially get to have a problem with that now,” Tammy grumbled and let her crossed leg tap Hannah’s shin. She watched Hannah’s cheeks flush while she kept her eyes forward, a small smile playing across her lips. 

“Fair point,” Hannah allowed softly. 

Tammy grinned. “I make you blush quite a lot, Khoury.”

The pink deepened, and Hannah’s eyes flickered to Tammy for a second. “And _you _ seem to enjoy making me blush, Gregorio.”

“I’ll admit,” Tammy said, proudly shifting her gaze back to watching Naomi, “it’s pretty fun. You’ve always been so unflappable.”

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve done this whole new relationship thing.” Tammy felt a warmth in her chest upon hearing Hannah defining them so clearly. “It’s gonna take some getting used to.”

For the rest of the game, Tammy couldn’t stop smiling. She wasn’t ready to tell Hannah yet, but it had been several years since she’d felt so seriously about someone else. This all felt as new to her as it probably did to Hannah, and she constantly felt like she was a teenager again, learning that her first crush liked her, too.

Naomi headbutted the ball to her teammate, sheer focus apparent on her face even from where they sat on the bleachers. Tammy cheered as enthusiastically as Hannah, all the while thinking about what they would do for the rest of their weekend off duty. Naomi would go to a team lunch after the game, meaning they’d have the house to themselves for a few hours. 

Tammy intended to make those hours count.

* * *

“Why do I feel like we’re the kids and Naomi’s the parent in this situation?” Hannah asked, her head resting on the arm of the couch as she looked up at Tammy. 

Tammy smirked, shifting her weight to one hand so she could sweep a stray hair off of Hannah’s face. “Maybe because as soon as we were alone, we started making out on the couch.”

Laughter lit up Hannah’s face. “Maybe you’re right.” 

“Only one more hour before mom comes home,” Tammy warned, her voice low as she dipped her head to place light kisses on Hannah’s neck. “We better make the most of it.”

Hannah’s hands guided Tammy’s lips back to hers, her eyes falling shut as she felt Tammy’s weight settle onto her body. After a few languid kisses, Hannah pushed Tammy up just enough to separate their faces. Her fingers swiped her lipstick off Tammy’s bottom lip. “I want to know more about your life,” she said quietly. 

“What do you want to know?” Tammy was so close Hannah could see the small dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose. Her warm brown eyes looked at Hannah as if she was the most interesting person in the world.

“Did you always want to be a profiler?” Hannah’s hand slid down to Tammy’s neck, her thumb stroking the dip between her clavicles. 

“And what do I get for answering all of your questions?” Tammy teased, her own hand drifting to the hem of Hannah’s shirt. 

Hannah let her fingers slip underneath the collar of Tammy’s shirt, lifting her head to capture Tammy’s lips again. “Does that answer your question?”

Tammy kissed her one more time for good measure, swallowing Hannah’s giggle as she did so. “I grew up thinking I’d be an electrician like my dad,” she finally said, “but I read this book on criminal psychology in high school and pretty much that was that.” Tammy claimed her reward, lifting the bottom of Hannah’s shirt so she could lay her hand flat against her stomach, feeling the muscles underneath her touch quiver. “Now you. How’d you end up as a covert agent?”

“I got recruited during basic training,” Hannah said, as if her previous life as a spy was par for the course. She slid her hand down to the small line of buttons in the middle of Tammy’s shirt, her pinky brushing the inner swell of Tammy’s breast. “Someone saw I had a knack for languages, and I can pass for multiple ethnicities.” She placed her lips on Tammy’s collarbone, letting them drag against the other woman’s skin as she asked her next question. “First crush?”

Tammy’s eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, her fingers digging into Hannah’s stomach reflexively. “I thought it was Ethan sophomore year of high school, but looking back, I was unreasonably fascinated by this girl Lana in my freshman homeroom.” Tammy’s hand tugged Hannah’s shirt up with it as she explored further north. “So much of my teenage years made sense once I realized I was gay.” She reached the fabric of Hannah’s bra, watching as Hannah bit her bottom lip in anticipation. “Had you ever kissed a woman before me?”

Hesitating, Hannah gave a miniscule nod. “In college, at the end of our first season my freshman year on the soccer team.” Tammy paused in her ministrations, realizing this may have been something she’d never even told Ryan before. “We all got pretty drunk at the party after our last game, and my friend and I kept joking that we’d kiss each other to make the other one stop feeling bad about the guys we liked not noticing us. There was a moment when we were in one of the girls’ rooms alone, and she kissed me.”

“Was that the only time?” 

Hannah’s dark eyes found Tammy’s, and Tammy could see the trust Hannah afforded her. “We hooked up a couple more times the next year, but when she started dating a guy from one of her classes, we just went back to being friends. I met Ryan a few months later, so it never really came up again.”

Tammy heard the hint of resignation in Hannah’s voice. “But you knew you also liked women by then,” she inferred, seeing Hannah nod. “Did you ever tell Ryan?”

“Didn’t see the point.” Hannah shrugged. “I was in love with him.” She shook herself to break the moment. “That was like three questions, Gregorio.”

Letting Hannah steer the conversation to lighter topics, Tammy smiled softly. “You’re right. How can I make it up to you?”

Using the grip on Tammy’s buttons as leverage, Hannah tugged her in for a hungry kiss. Tammy felt nimble fingers slip the buttons out of their holes, and soon the cool air was hitting the top of her breasts. Tammy was just about to move her own hand over the band of Hannah’s bra when the sound of Hannah’s phone ringing harshly brought things to a crashing halt. 

With a frustrated moan, Tammy retracted her hand from Hannah’s shirt to reach for the offending phone on the side table. Naomi’s face flashed on the screen. “Looks like it’s time to pick up mom,” Tammy said, offering the phone to Hannah. 

Hannah gave Tammy one last peck as she took the phone. With an apologetic look in her eyes, she answered, “Hi, sweetie. How was lunch?”

* * *

Monday morning came around all too soon. As much as Tammy loved her job, she hated the end it brought to the bubble she’d made with Hannah and Naomi. A blessed two days where they didn’t have to think about Derick Jackson or George Henley or Igor Ivanov. After they dropped Naomi off at Ryan’s Sunday evening, they’d spent the night with a bottle of wine, more questions, and more explorations. Tammy wanted to memorize every inch of Hannah’s body, but she knew she had to go slowly with her boss. She couldn’t afford to mess things up, not with Hannah. 

Still, it was incredibly frustrating not being able to grab Hannah’s hand as they walked into the office Monday morning. Sebastian’s head swiveled to them when he heard the door slide open. “Hey,” Tammy greeted, holding up the bag and carrier in her hands. “We brought breakfast.”

LaSalle grinned at them and gratefully took the coffee from Tammy. “Thank you kindly.”

“Looks like you two had a fun Friday night,” Sebastian said, going over to peruse the bag of pastries. 

Hannah froze just for a second in the middle of depositing her bag behind her desk. “What are you talking about?”

He gestured to his computer screen as he sat back down in his chair, beignet in hand. “You’re in the society pages this morning.” Hannah and Tammy made their way around to look over Sebastian’s shoulder. There were multiple pictures covering the Covingtons’ charity gala, one of which showed Hannah and Tammy, hands intertwined, as they laughed and ate dinner at the head table with the Covingtons and the Henleys. “Looks like the night was a success.”

Tammy almost sighed with relief. The picture was innocent and perfectly in line with their cover. “Oh, yeah, our moves won everyone over. I bet George Henley is even more excited to funnel our money to Ivanov after seeing Hannah’s willingness to embarrass herself on the dance floor.”

Hannah scoffed, lightly whacking Tammy’s arm with the back of her hand. “I was not that bad.” She walked back to her desk and logged into her computer. “_You _ try dancing when your shoes have zero traction.” Tammy smirked at Hannah, whose eyes sparkled with mischief as she held her gaze for just a beat too long.

“So I take it you got the file I dropped off on Ivanov?” Sebastian asked.

Nodding, Tammy stole a sip of coffee from his cup, ignoring his protests. “Yep, any idea on how he got to George Henley?”

“Patton’s going through his personal life, and so far no pressure points that we can find. No outstanding loans, and no kids to threaten.”

“What?” Tammy looked down at Sebastian in confusion. “That’s not right. He’s got a son in high school.”

“His wife showed us his picture at the gala,” Hannah supported, her brow furrowed. “He’s on the varsity baseball team.”

“That’s weird,” Sebastian murmured, pulling up the search database on his computer. “I’ll do another search on his wife. Maybe we can find him that way.”

LaSalle leaned against the side of his desk sipping the chickory coffee. He had his jacket on, ready to head out to meet Pride for their other case. “I wonder why he’d go to such lengths to hide any record of his kid if he’d just talk about him with people he just met,” he drawled. 

“Here we go.” Sebastian forwarded the results he found onto the big screen. “Evan Anders, 15 years old. We couldn’t find him because he has his mother’s maiden name.”

“I think I found George Henley’s weak point,” Patton announced as he joined the group in the main office. He glanced up at the screen and looked back at Sebastian, affronted. “Man, why you tryna steal my thunder?”

Hannah laughed and waved Patton in. “Sebastian stole nothing, Patton. We have the dots but we can’t connect them. Can you shed any light on this?”

“Glad to know I’m still needed.” Patton fluffed his collar importantly before returning his hands to the keyboard on his chair. “Elaine Anders used to live in Queens. She was married before, to this guy, Christian Jones.” A mugshot of a thin, scared redheaded man came up on the screen. “He had a gambling problem, got picked up on patronizing an illegal Russian gambling ring. Died in jail waiting for trial, got shived by a known member of the Russian mob. She was six months pregnant when he got arrested.”

“So she got saddled with Christian’s debt,” Tammy guessed, seeing Patton’s tap his nose in affirmation. “Changed her name back to Anders and left New York before Evan was born.”

“Found herself in New Orleans, where she met George Henley,” Patton finished. “I still gotta find the exact connection, but my best guess is your boy Igor knew someone in New York at the time and found out about Elaine’s debt and used her son to put pressure on George.”

“And if George Henley helped raise Evan from when he was a baby, he absolutely would have done anything to protect him,” Hannah added. “It makes sense.” 

The sound of a new email coming in drew Hannah’s attention to her own computer screen. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Maybe he’s feeling the pressure a little more than we thought.” She looked up at Tammy. “George just made an extra withdrawal from our dummy account.”


	12. Chapter 12

“You know, I’m kinda sad we’re arresting Henley today,” Tammy said into the quiet office as she and Hannah tucked their badges into their belts for the first time in weeks. Sebastian and LaSalle went to pick up George from the bank, Pride lending him back to the Jackson case as their own case was wrapping up. With Pride debriefing in the SCIF and Patton tracing the money and security footage, they had the space to themselves for a few minutes at least. 

Hannah sighed, not needing to ask why Tammy was disappointed. She, too, felt the bitter taste of it in the back of her throat. “Me, too.” 

“I don’t know that I’m ready for Tammy Russo and Hannah Shahi to disappear.” Hannah could hear the unspoken fear in her words, the fear that Hannah would pull away without the plausible excuse of maintaining their cover. They’d only been _ real _ for a total of three and a half days, after all. 

Hannah stepped forward and leaned against Tammy’s desk next to the profiler. “They won’t, not completely.” She briefly let herself squeeze Tammy’s hand to reassure her. Tammy looked to her left to see Hannah staring at her unflinchingly, and the skin around Tammy’s eyes relaxed a little. 

“Good, I liked them.”

“At least we get to actually feel like agents again,” Hannah pointed out, glancing down at her badge. “It’s been a while since we’ve gotten to interrogate someone.”

Tammy laughed and nodded. “I have to admit, I can’t wait for the look on George’s face when he realizes we’re feds.”

“Which should be any minute now.” Pride’s voice startled the both of them, and Hannah quickly retracted her hand as she turned to see their SAC walking in from the kitchen. “Christopher just called me and let me know they were en route from the bank.”

“Great,” Hannah said. She stood up and brushed herself off, smiling at her boss. “How’s your case going?”

Pride nodded back to where he just came from. “Just finished briefing the boys in Washington. Once Christopher gets back, we’re going to go make the official arrest.”

“Busy day for LaSalle,” Tammy mused. 

Chuckling, Pride agreed. “But since there’s finally some movement on the Jackson case, we’ll be able to dedicate the whole team to bringing Ivanov’s group down again. Once we get Henley to flip, it’s only a matter of time before we call in the cavalry.”

“You just leave that to us, Pride,” Tammy said proudly, pushing off of her desk to join Hannah. “Henley’s not going to be the type to stay calm under pressure.”

“I have no doubt about it, Gregorio.” Pride’s voice was full of gentle amusement, as was his smile. He turned his head to the entrance when he heard the sound of a car pulling up. “That must be them. You two better get going to interrogation.”

“See you on the other side.” Tammy waved and nudged Hannah with her elbow. Hannah sent Pride well wishes on his arrest and followed her partner. Time to get back to work.

* * *

“Hannah? Tammy?” George’s confused question left his mouth immediately upon seeing the two agents walking into the interrogation room. Tammy watched as his eyes registered their different clothes before settling on the gold badges on their belts. “W-what’s going on here?”

“What’s going on is you’re about to go to prison for embezzlement, fraud, weapons trafficking, and conspiracy to commit murder,” Tammy announced, pulling out a chair and sitting across from George. 

“What?” George’s voice went an octave higher, his eyes wide as he looked to Hannah. “What for? And why are you both here?”

“You haven’t figured that one out yet?” Tammy asked under her breath. 

Hannah took pity on the banker, if only to move things along. “I’m NCIS Special Agent Hannah Khoury. This is Special Agent Tammy Gregorio.” She walked to the table and leaned her hands on it next to Tammy. “And we have you dead to rights on embezzling money from your clients to a Russian weapons ring that was connected to the murder of a naval officer.”

“I-I would never,” George sputtered, only to be cut off by Tammy’s scoff.

“Don’t even bother, George, we have proof of you doing it with the account we set up with you,” Tammy said. “We know all about Elaine’s first husband’s debts. Didn’t take a genius to figure out that’s how they were able to pressure you into helping them.”

All the blood drained from George’s face with every word that left Tammy’s mouth. He floundered for a moment, eyes shifting back and forth between Hannah’s stern face and Tammy’s slightly annoyed one. Then, in just an instant, he seemed to come to a decision, and all the fight seeped out of him. He looked down at his cuffed hands on the table. “They knew about Evan,” he finally said. “They showed me pictures of him at school. They’d been watching him for a while, said the only way I could keep him safe was if I helped them until Elaine’s debt was paid off.”

Hannah’s voice softened. “When did they first contact you?”

“Two years ago. Guy came to the bank.”

“Igor Ivanov?” Tammy prompted, her eyes never leaving George as she felt Hannah take a seat beside her. 

George shook his head. “One of his men, Peter Volkov.” He tugged on the knot of his tie. “He’s the one who’d been stalking Evan.”

“What did he have you do?”

“At first it was just giving them access to my client list, so that they could scam them to donate money,” George said. “But eventually they realized it was cleaner and faster if I just funneled some of the money I was supposed to be investing straight to them.”

“How long until your debt was paid off?” Hannah asked, leaning back in her chair. Tammy shifted in her seat. Hannah’s voice had gotten low and comforting, mesmerizing the answers out of their suspect, but it had the unfortunate side effect of also _ thoroughly _ distracting Tammy.

A look of desperation shone in George’s face. “That’s the thing. They said it would just be a couple of years, but the demands haven't stopped coming. I don’t know if they’ll ever let me go.”

_ Gotcha_, Tammy thought to herself as she met Hannah’s gaze. “We may have a way to help you out,” she said, moving to rest her weight on her forearms. 

“I’ll do anything to get out from under them,” George insisted.

“Before we get there,” Hannah interrupted, opening a file on the table in front of the banker, “we need to know if you ever met this man, Derick Jackson.”

George leaned forward to examine the picture of the sailor, scanning for clues. “N-No I don’t think so. Why? Who is he?”

“He’s a Navy sailor who disappeared after a shipment of semi-automatic rifles went missing from his ship, turned up two weeks later shot up in a garbage pile,” Hannah said. She took out another photo from the pile. “Igor Ivanov was seen in Jackson’s vicinity right before he went missing, and we got him leaving the alley where Jackson was dumped a day before his body was found.”

“Now, we need your help proving Ivanov is responsible for our sailor’s death,” Tammy said. “Did you have any knowledge of Jackson’s murder?”

“Nothing concrete, I’m afraid,” George denied with a heavy sigh. “I really only ever deal with a few of them, but that does sound like Peter’s work.”

“How so?”

“Sounds like he was stalking the guy. Peter stalked my son, and he’s Ivanov’s enforcer. When he drafted me, he told me all about how he knows how to use those guns.” George shrugged. “The only other guy who’s come to the bank was Sasha Belkin. He’d sometimes come by to tell me where to send the money. He fit the bill for my usual clientele, looked too proper to get his hands dirty.”

“How much do you know about the operation?” Hannah asked. “Where they meet, how their operation runs, how they keep in contact.”

“After two years?” George finally looked relieved. “I know a whole lot, including the fact that they’re expecting to buy another shipment next week.”

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind them, Tammy pushed Hannah up against it, finding her lips almost instantly. She swallowed the surprised sound Hannah made, smiling into the kiss when she heard Hannah’s giggle. Tammy’s hands settled on Hannah’s waist, and she pulled away just enough to speak. “I’ve been waiting to do that all day.”

Hannah laughed, her dark eyes sparkling as she let her own hands snake up Tammy’s front to rest on her shoulders. “You really like to have me up against things, don’t you?” she said, closing the gap for another kiss. 

Tammy’s eyes drifted shut again, relishing in the sensation of Hannah’s fingers sliding up her neck, of Hannah’s mouth sliding against hers. “Maybe I do,” she whispered against Hannah’s lips. “I like to know you can’t run when I have my way with you.” She lifted up onto her tiptoes, pressing her body further into Hannah’s, and tilted her head to the side, deepening the kiss. 

A soft moan escaped from the back of Hannah’s throat, and she tugged Tammy in closer. When Tammy started to kiss down her neck, Hannah tried to catch her breath. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, her eyes fluttering closed under Tammy’s ministrations. 

“You,” Tammy punctuated each word with another kiss, “were so distracting in that interrogation today.” 

“Mmm, you’re one to talk,” Hannah said, her low voice sending shivers down Tammy’s spine. Her hands fell down to grip Tammy’s v-neck. “You really need to either wear a different shirt or stop crossing your arms when you question someone.” She ducked her head to capture Tammy’s lips again. “I almost lost my train of thought at least three different times.”

Tammy smirked as she pulled back to look at Hannah. “So you were checking me out, huh?” 

Despite the fact that Hannah was pressed up on a door with Tammy flush against her and her own hands gripping fistfuls of Tammy’s shirt, Hannah managed to blush. “I might have.” 

Tammy could feel both of their hearts hammering in their chests, and she brought a hand up to tuck Hannah’s curls behind her ear. “You’re allowed to, you know. God knows I was.”

The color in Hannah’s cheeks deepened. “I know I’m allowed to,” she breathed. “It’s just all still so new. _ We’re _ still so new. I haven't done anything like this in about 15 years. I’m not used to talking about us yet.”

Tammy leaned forward for a soft, lingering kiss. “Maybe we should give us a name.” Hannah’s eyebrows quirked questioningly. “It feels a little silly to define it, I know, but it may help you get used to us a little faster.”

“Makes sense,” Hannah agreed. She smoothed out the fabric on Tammy’s chest, returning her arms to resting around Tammy’s neck. “So what are we?”

“I know what _ I _would call us, but I want you to decide.” Tammy relaxed back onto her heels, pulling Hannah off the door along with her. She interlocked her fingers around the small of her back, almost as if they were slow dancing in Hannah’s foyer. “I want you to be comfortable with the pace of things.”

Hannah chewed her bottom lip as she tilted her head to the side, a considering look in her eyes. “I--this feels too serious to be just dating.” She took a deep breath and continued, her words quiet. “So I think the only word that fits is...girlfriends.”

A giant grin bloomed on Tammy’s face, and she pulled Hannah in, capturing her lips for another kiss. “You called me your girlfriend,” she teased when they parted. 

Laughing, Hannah gripped Tammy by her shoulders to steady herself. “You were so mature just a second ago, and now you’ve got the dopiest grin on your face.”

“Because you called me your girlfriend.” 

“What, are we back in high school?” Hannah’s cheeks were bright red by now, but there was a smile on her face. 

“Feels like it,” Tammy said. “We went to a dance together and everything.”

Hannah rolled her eyes, pulling out of the embrace but only so she could grab Tammy’s hand and lead her into the house. “Well, would my girlfriend like something to eat? I’m starving.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Hey, I’m home,” Tammy called out as she dropped her keys in the bowl on the side table in Hannah’s foyer. Kicking off her shoes and nudging them next to Hannah’s ankle boots against the wall, she padded down the hallway to the kitchen. 

Hannah stood at the counter, one socked foot propped up against her other leg as she talked with someone on the phone. She turned when she heard Tammy walk in and smiled when Tammy deposited her hands on Hannah’s hips to bring her in for a kiss on the cheek. Their fledgling relationship was just a week and a half old, but Tammy still revelled in her newfound freedom to just reach for Hannah any time she wanted. 

“Right,” Hannah said in a way that told Tammy she’d been mindlessly agreeing with whoever was on the phone for quite some time now. “Of course, I’d be happy to help in any way I can.”

Already bored, Tammy entertained herself with peppering small kisses along Hannah’s collarbone while her fingers set to work on unbuttoning Hannah’s blouse, only to be stopped by Hannah’s hand on hers. Tammy looked up impishly to see Hannah’s mildly exasperated expression, but she could see the heat in her eyes. 

“The food?” Hannah’s attention once again went back to the phone call, while Tammy shamelessly went back to the buttons. Hannah’s eyes slid closed as she felt Tammy’s lips ghost across her neck to settle right at the soft spot beneath her ear. “How, uh--” Hannah’s breath hitched when Tammy’s hands slipped over her bare stomach--“How many people would I need to plan for?”

Tammy grinned against Hannah’s skin when she felt the other woman shudder, noting Hannah’s hand laying limply on her arm, making no effort to stop her ministrations. She glanced up to see Hannah pull her lower lip into her mouth, worrying it as she tried in vain to focus on the voice on the other side of the phone. “Hang up,” Tammy said in a sing-song whisper, her fingers splaying across Hannah’s waist and pulling her closer. 

Blinking away the haze of distraction, Hannah shook her head and raised her hand to push Tammy back to arm’s length away. “That sounds fine, Martha. How about you shoot me a text with all the girls’ allergies and I’ll get the snacks for the invitational next week?” Tammy tried not to laugh at the image of Hannah trying her best to sound normal when she was barely holding off her girlfriend with her shirt hanging open. “Perfect, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Took you long enough,” Tammy muttered as Hannah hung up and placed her phone on the counter. 

Hannah’s chuckle carried a hint of anxiety, her hand squeezing Tammy’s shoulder. “Did you have your fun?”

“Nuh-uh, not even close,” Tammy said, reaching back for Hannah with both hands and tugging her flush against herself. “And it doesn’t even count because you were distracted.”

Hannah brought her other arm up so that both rested on either of Tammy’s shoulders, an amused smile playing on her lips. “Well now you have my full attention, so what are you going to do about it?”

In answer, Tammy shifted her weight onto her tiptoes and caught the other agent’s lips in a hungry kiss. She felt more than heard Hannah’s hum of approval, and Hannah’s hands slipped into her hair. Tammy wasted no time sliding her hands back under Hannah’s open shirt. “Naomi’s at Ryan’s?”

“Mhmm,” Hannah confirmed, arching into Tammy’s touch. Hannah tilted her head to deepen the kiss, her tongue darting out to meet Tammy’s. It wasn’t long before Tammy stepped forward, pushing Hannah backward until her back met the countertop. One of Hannah’s hands made its way down Tammy’s torso, blazing a trail of fire along the side of her breast and back as she found the profiler’s rear jean pocket. 

Breaking the kiss, Tammy slid her mouth against the hollow of Hannah’s ear. “So I know we have been taking it slow…” she trailed off, her fingers tracing the clasp of Hannah’s bra. 

Hannah dropped her head to kiss Tammy’s neck right at her pulse point, which made Tammy’s knees nearly give way. Hannah tightened her grip on Tammy to keep her steady before straightening to look Tammy in the eye. “I’m over slow if you are.” She moved her hands to take fistfuls of Tammy’s shirt, poised to tug the fabric out from her jeans. 

Tammy flashed Hannah a devilish grin, depositing one last kiss on Hannah’s lips before breaking their embrace and walking backward. “So let’s see how slow you are getting to the bedroom then, Agent Khoury.” 

“There’s nothing less sexy than a race to the bedroom, Gregorio,” Hannah said dryly. Nonetheless, she stalked toward her girlfriend. With her hair mussed, lips swollen, and shirt flying open, Hannah already looked halfway to ravaged.

But Tammy never left anything only halfway done.

* * *

The sun had fallen by the time Hannah’s eyes flickered open. Tammy’s arm was draped across her stomach as she remained dead to the world. Hannah got the impression the other woman would be happy to sleep until morning, but Hannah’s growling stomach was not as inclined to stay dormant. Stretching her pleasantly sore muscles, she watched as Tammy stirred from the movement. “Hey,” she whispered. 

As Tammy blinked the sleep from her eyes, a splendidly big smile stretched across her face. “Hey,” she answered just as softly. “Guess we fell asleep.”

“We had quite the workout,” Hannah’s voice dipped low as she recalled their coupling. She turned onto her side, feeling the cold air of the room on her back as the blanket moved with her. “Had to recuperate.”

Tammy chuckled, tracing small circles on Hannah’s hip. “I didn't expect you to tire me out as much as you did.”

“Well, I’m a quick study,” Hannah quipped lightly. Her stomach growled again. “Also hungry.”

Tammy’s hands found Hannah’s stomach, tickling the skin there until the senior agent was unable to contain her laughter. “Are you sure you don’t just wanna stay here for a little longer?”

Hannah caught her hands and tugged her in for a kiss. “I love being here,” she insisted against Tammy’s mouth, “but I also need food.” 

Sighing dramatically, Tammy pushed away onto her back, the blanket falling to her waist. “Fine, let’s feed you.” 

* * *

As they walked down the street toward Hannah’s favorite takeout, Tammy debated for a solid minute and a half before finally taking Hannah’s hand in hers. Hannah looked down at their intertwined hands, apprehension on her face as she took in her surroundings. But, as she realized no one they knew were around, she relaxed and squeezed back. 

“Am I gonna get you in trouble?” Tammy asked bluntly as they walked. 

Hannah tried to brush it off. “While the case is still going on, we can always just say we were maintaining our cover.”

“And when the case is over?”

Silence followed, and they walked for a few more steps before Hannah answered. “Yeah, you might get me in trouble.”

“Might?” Tammy tugged their hands toward her, pushing Hannah to admit the truth.

“Alright, probably,” Hannah admitted. She kept her gaze forward, not wanting to admit that there was an external force that may mandate the end of their relationship. “But we’re in it now, and I don’t think I can go back.”

Tammy could tell Hannah was trying to reassure her, but it made her feel worse. “Did I push you into this?”

Hannah stopped walking, using their intertwined hands to stop Tammy as well. “Why would you think that?”

Shrugging, Tammy said, “You were pretty much doing everything you could to stop us from happening before the gala, even _ at _ the gala.” She looked down at their hands. “I didn’t leave you any choice.”

Hannah stepped closer to Tammy, dropping her hand in favor of tipping her face up to align with hers. “Tammy, I was doing everything I could to stop us from happening _ because _ I wanted you. But I was afraid for my career.” She smoothed a thumb over Tammy’s cheek. “Don’t ever think I didn’t want this. You didn’t take away my choice. I was fighting a losing battle anyway.”

“But what if you get fired because of me?”

Hannah cast around for an answer. There wasn't one to be found in the dark, nearly empty street. She wasn’t sure what to say, because Tammy was right. Her life _ was _ her job. But would she love her job as much as she did without Tammy there? “I...I could, but we’d have the best chance at keeping our jobs if we tell Pride about us.”

“You wanna tell Pride about us so soon?”

Hannah blushed. “Well, not right _ now_, but yeah, I’m not going to be an impartial boss when it comes to you, so Pride would need to be responsible for your career,” she said. “It’s the only way to protect you.”

Catching Hannah’s hand again, Tammy looked down at their fingers curling around each other. “Still puts you at risk.”

“But it’s my best shot,” Hannah insisted with a squeeze of her hand. 

“Fine,” Tammy said, looking back up to her boss. “We’ll find a time to tell Pride after the case is over.”

Hannah nodded and tugged Tammy back into walking toward the restaurant. “It’s a plan. Now come on, food’s waiting.”

* * *

“Alright, everyone, today’s the day,” Pride announced to the agents gathered in the NCIS field office the following afternoon. Hannah, Tammy, Sebastian, and Christopher were all fastening their kevlar vests and checking their gun clips, a nervous energy pervading the unit. “Ivanov and his crew will be heavily armed today. According to Henley, he’s got at least 6 other guys with him at all deals, not to mention whoever is selling the weapons. We’re going in under the assumption that we’re going to be outnumbered, so no one should be a hero. Everyone keeps in pairs so that you can watch each other’s back. NOPD and the Coast Guard will be there to provide additional support, but this is still our collar, and we’ll be the most exposed.”

“If this is your idea of a pep talk, it’s not really working,” Sebastian pointed out as he smoothed down the last velcro strap of his vest.

“Don’t worry, Sebastian,” LaSalle said with a light punch to his shoulder, “I’ve got your back.”

“I know it’s not great so far as pep talks go,” Pride admitted, “but I want you all to be careful out there.”

Hannah pushed off from her desk to stand next to Pride. “You’ve all seen Ivanov’s file. You’ve seen what he and his crew are capable of, and that’s when they’re not armed with sub-machine guns. Our first aim when we get to the docks is to find cover so we can watch the deal go down, then we can move in when we have NOPD and Coast Guard in position to back us up.” 

“Let’s get moving.” At Pride’s word, the squad made their way to their respective vehicles. LaSalle rode with Pride and Sebastian, and Hannah climbed into the driver’s seat as Tammy fastened her seatbelt of their own SUV. 

“You ready for this?” Hannah asked once the closed door silenced the outside world. 

Tammy nodded, adjusting her NCIS baseball cap on her head. “More than ready. Like LaSalle said, I’ve got your back.” She winked to lighten the mood, but Hannah could see the anxiety tighten the corners of her eyes. She knew this would be a dangerous bust and was serious about getting everyone through it unscathed.

“I have no doubt.” Hannah’s voice softened, and she reached over to give Tammy’s hand a squeeze. “I’ve got your back, too.”

The drive to the docks felt like it took no time at all, and soon the team was parked a quarter of a mile away. Hannah loosened her gun from its holster, hearing her team follow suit. They made their way down the road leading to the docks, sticking to the outskirts of the trees lining the street. It wasn’t long before they fanned out, stepping lightly to avoid making any sound as they approached the group of leather-clad men at the end of one of the piers. 

Hannah and Tammy found shelter behind a pair of trash cans halfway down the pier. Out of the corner of her eye, Hannah saw the boys settle behind a dock house just ahead of them. Pride peered around the corner of one side while LaSalle and Sebastian cautiously looked around the other. 

“I see Ivanov,” Tammy whispered into the coms, peering through a viewfinder. “Peter Volkov’s there, too.”

“I count at least 12 hostiles.” LaSalle’s voice came clearly through their earpieces. “Looks like their dealer knew how many men to expect, came prepared.”

“Does anybody see someone that matches Sasha Belkin’s description?” Hannah asked as she scanned the gang ahead of them. 

She saw Sebastian shake his head from her vantage point. “No one here that looks like they’d look more comfortable in a suit than a leather jacket.”

Tammy’s wry voice sounded behind her. “Also no tall, slender, blond men in the group. You know, Belkin’s _ actual _ description.”

Fighting her smile, Hannah made her voice stay serious. “Focus, everyone. We’ve got at least one hostile unaccounted for, so keep your guard up. Pride, LaSalle, Sebastian, do you hear what’s going on?”

“Just barely, they’re talking too softly,” Pride answered. “But it’s pretty clear the dealer is showing the merchandise right now. As soon as we see Ivanov’s crew take possession of the guns, we move.”

“NOPD and Coast Guard are max two minutes out,” Hannah said, watching the scene unfold before her just as Pride described. “As soon as we move, they’ll get the signal to close in and prevent that boat from leaving.” Her phone was poised to hit send on the “GO” text to the NOPD and Coast Guard unit leaders.

Ivanov was nodding, and he gestured to the man standing next to Volkov. The man handed over the duffle bag he’d been holding, and everyone watched as the bulky, semi-graying, grizzly seller grabbed the bag and yanked open the zipper. With a curt jerk of his head, the dealer had his companion close up the crate of guns and push it over to Ivanov’s crew. 

“_Now_!” Pride’s voice came through the coms right before he, LaSalle, and Sebastian came out from behind the dock house. “NCIS, everybody stop where you are!”

Chaos broke out as soon as they made themselves known. Both gangs immediately turned and reached for their weapons. Hannah sent the signal to their backup, hurriedly pocketing her phone so she could start to return fire. She saw someone from Ivanov’s group reach for one of the semi-automatic rifles in the crate before she had to duck back down. She tugged Tammy down by the back of her vest just before the hail of bullets started ramming into the trash cans. 

The harsh, deafening clanging of bullets ripping apart the metal protecting them made it harder for Hannah to know what was happening. She already knew her ears and head would be ringing for hours once they made it out of this. Tammy dropped her sidearm once she ran out of bullets and went for the rifle she’d brought. As soon as she flipped her cap round, Hannah knew the gang members were about to start dropping. And it was Hannah’s job to make sure nothing got in the way of that. 

Almost as if the universe heard Hannah’s thoughts, vibrations under her feet made her look behind them. Her heart dropped when she saw a man who was undeniably Sasha Belkin. He stood there, chiseled cheekbones and a haircut sharp enough to match his suit, his pistol aimed directly at Tammy’s back.

* * *

As much as the nervous anticipation keyed Tammy up before a bust, things always grew inexplicably calm in her mind during a gunfight. Her breathing slowed, and the sound of relentless gunfire melted away. As she settled the rifle on top of the trash can, her eyes zeroed in on the man firing the AR-15. Another heartbeat, and she pulled the trigger. The man fell before the next heartbeat. She shifted to the dealer’s man, who was doing his best to shoot LaSalle off the dock. He also fell without much fuss. 

She’d just decided on her next target when she felt another tug at her vest and vaguely heard an urgent grunt beside her. She turned her head just in time to see Hannah step behind her, feeling the pull to the side her boss used to propel herself and to get Tammy out of the way of the--. 

Time stood still and everything around her sped up all at the same time as she watched Hannah take one, two, _ three _ bullets meant for her. 

Tammy whipped the rifle around and fired off a shot before Belkin even had a chance to register what happened, before even she had the chance to register how quickly Hannah fell in front of her. There was no way Hannah just got shot. There was no way that was her at Tammy’s feet. It couldn’t be possible. But she was sure as _ hell _ going to make sure the bastard that tried to make that a possibility couldn’t hurt Hannah any more. 

At such a close range, the rifle bullet ripped through Belkin’s chest and propelled him backwards into the water. “_Hannah_!” She dropped her rifle as soon as he disappeared beneath the dock, immediately feeling for the unresponsive agent’s neck. Tears already dropped with a vengeance onto her extended hand. Blessedly, there was a strong pulsation underneath her fingers. At least one of the bullets missed Hannah’s vest, because blood already stained the bottom of her shirt at an alarming rate.

She heard the sirens of the Coast Guard’s boats behind her and saw the lights of NOPD’s cars pull up onto the dock. “_ Guys, Hannah’s down_,” she all but yelled into the earpiece. Blindly, she pressed down on Hannah’s stomach below her vest, hoping she was helping stem the bleed. The fact that Hannah didn’t even react from the inevitable pain that should have caused made Tammy’s heart almost stop. 

“We need an ambulance ASAP. Officer down, I repeat, _ officer down_!” She didn’t even know if she pressed the button to activate the coms when she put out that call, or if she was just yelling to whoever was in earshot. 

Even as the gunfire ceased behind her, Tammy’s world remained in chaos. She internally begged for Hannah’s eyes to open or for her to grimace, anything. But all she could see was the blood quickly seeping through her fingers.

  
  



	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh, here we are! We have reached the end of this sweet little story. I never imagined it would have gotten the amount of love it has, but please know how grateful I am for it. Thank you for your patience when I needed to take longer than normal breaks, and for your enthusiastic participation with readings, leaving kudos, asks, and comments. You all made this story happen even when my writing mood was nowhere to be found. Enjoy!

Sebastian peered through the glass doors of the ICU room at Tammy clutching the hand of a ghostly pale Hannah. Naomi was asleep on Hannah’s other side, nearly falling off her chair as her head rested on the bed next to Hannah’s hand. A glance at his watch told him it had been hours by now, and Tammy hadn’t moved from Hannah’s side. 

“Hey, Sebastian, you okay?” Pride asked, a hand coming up to squeeze the forensic agent’s shoulder.

Shrugging, Sebastian shook his head. “Wade told me Hannah would be fine, but it just doesn’t feel right seeing her like this.”

“It’s hard, no doubt about that,” Pride agreed. “Hannah seems invincible most of the time. We should be thankful at least that the bullet didn’t go any deeper than a superficial artery.”

“Still, she lost a lot of blood.”

He saw Pride nod in acknowledgment from the corner of his eye. “She’s strong, she’ll get through this.” A few moments of silence passed, the two agents watching Tammy intermittently checking Hannah and Naomi for signs of waking. “Do they still think we don’t know?”

Sebastian snorted. “Even if we didn’t already, Tammy’s doing a pretty terrible job of hiding it right now.”

“As she should,” Pride said. “It’s hard enough for her to open up to someone else without worrying about what we’ll think.”

“Are we talking about Hannah and Tammy?” Patton asked as he approached the two agents, a coffee carrier in his lap. “Man, I totally called that from the beginning.”

Accepting the coffee thankfully, Sebastian quickly regretted taking a sip of the scalding hot liquid. “Really? The _ beginning_?”

“Oh, yeah,” Patton said. “As soon as Hannah introduced herself as Tammy’s fiancée at that charity event. Tammy’s face on the security footage was priceless.”

Sebastian shook his head. “Nah, I think it was after their dinner at the Covingtons’ house. They definitely got weirder at work after that.”

“Maybe--” Pride interrupted the quickly evolving debate, “--we should let Hannah and Tammy tell us in their own time, and _ then _ you can ask the details of exactly when it started.”

* * *

“Mom’s just sleeping, you know.” 

Naomi’s voice took a few seconds to filter through the exhausted haze of Tammy’s mind. She finally registered the pre-teen’s words when she saw those bright green eyes, sunken in from crying, staring straight at her. “I know, it just feels wrong to not be here when she wakes up.”

“Why?” There was no animosity in Naomi’s question, just tired curiosity. 

Not ready to delve fully into that conversation yet, Tammy shrugged. “She got shot saving my life. It’s only right she sees she was successful when the pain meds wear off.”

Naomi’s piercing gaze remained on Tammy, until finally she looked back at her mother. “I’m glad she’s important to you, too.”

Did she…? _ No use in worrying about that right now__._ “She’s definitely important--to all of us,” Tammy answered softly, her thumb stroking the inside of Hannah’s wrist. 

“But all of you aren’t in here.”

Tammy sighed and answered Naomi’s silent question. “Right.” Deciding on her own unspoken question, she continued, “I could wait outside with the others if you like.”

Naomi, bless her, didn’t make Tammy wait long for her answer. Her words were kind and her voice gentle as she said, “No, that’s okay. It’s nice that you’re here.”

* * *

Hannah’s eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she registered was the aching in her lower stomach. She tried to take a deep breath and felt the tugging of what were probably stitches in her skin. It was uncomfortable, to be sure, but not unbearable. 

_ Oh, right__,_ she thought as she continued taking stock of her body, taking note of the various bruises and probably a broken rib or two. _ I jumped in front of Tammy when Belkin shot at her. _ She noticed both her arms felt heavy, and she looked to her right to see her daughter’s sleeping face next to her hand. Her small hands gripped Hannah’s forearm softly. Hannah carefully slid her arm out from under her grip so she could stroke Naomi’s cheek. _ My sweet girl. _

“Hey, you’re awake,” she heard Tammy’s raspy voice from her left. Hannah turned her head to see her girlfriend looking tired, but relieved. She felt Tammy’s thumb fanning back and forth across the back of her hand. 

Reflexively, Hannah relaxed. “Hi, you’re okay,” she whispered, not wanting to wake Naomi. 

“Of course, I’m okay,” Tammy said, her hands tightening around Hannah’s wrist. “You saved me.”

“Did we get them?” 

Tammy nodded, looking down and slowly, deliberately intertwining her fingers with Hannah’s. “Every one of them, including Ivanov.” She paused, anger seeping into her voice when she spoke again. “Belkin’s dead.”

Seeing the darkness creeping into Tammy’s face, Hannah shook their entwined hands. “Hey, I’m okay.”

“You’re in the hospital.”

“But I’m _ okay_.” Hannah looked back at her daughter. “And so much more so because you both are here. What did the doctors say?”

Tammy glanced over at Naomi, her features softening. “Most of the bullets hit your vest, but a piece of one caught some inferior epi-something artery.” Her eyes flitted back to Hannah’s. “You lost a lot of blood but it didn’t actually go deeper than your superficial tissue, no major organ involvement.”

Wincing as she tried to move higher up on the bed, Hannah’s free hand went to her side. “Yeah, I think I broke a rib, though. Something hurts like a mother--” she cut herself off when she remembered her daughter was asleep next to her. 

“I can call the nurse and have her get you some pain meds,” Tammy offered, shifting in her seat as if to stand until Hannah tugged on her hand to still her. 

“No, I’m good. I don’t want to be foggy, and it’s not so bad as long as I don’t take too deep a breath.” Hannah looked through the clear glass doors to see the whole team watching them in various states of relief. She smiled and waved at them. “Where’s Ryan?”

“Setting up your house so that you’re all set when you get the green light to go home,” Tammy said. “Making sure the fridge is stocked and such.” Tammy looked over her shoulder at the group of agents and Wade standing outside, clearly more relaxed now that they saw Hannah was awake and chatting amongst themselves. “Good thing he did, because none of us could be convinced to leave while you were still zonked out.”

“How long have I been here?” Hannah’s real question--_How long have _ you _ been here_\--came through loud and clear.

“Since yesterday afternoon. It’s about 10 a.m. now.” Tammy looked down at their hands again, trying to keep her voice steady. “The doctors stabilized you pretty quickly but you got over-sedated and wouldn’t wake up for more than a couple of seconds, so they wanted to watch you in the ICU overnight.” 

Hannah stayed silent while she absorbed the information, grateful it hadn’t been worse. Her eyes fell back on Naomi. She didn’t even want to consider what might have happened to her daughter if she’d been more seriously injured. She didn’t want to consider the possibility she may have lost the opportunity to see her daughter grow up. It was all too overwhelming. “I’m sorry for scaring you all like that.”

She felt Tammy’s thumb stroking her hand again, and she looked back up to see the profiler starting to lose her battle with holding back her tears. She took a shuddering breath and offered Hannah a watery smile. “You’re going to be okay, so I’ll be okay, too.”

All Hannah wanted to do was comfort Tammy--to the point where she’d momentarily forgotten about the fact that their entire team was watching them from outside. Thankfully, Naomi started to stir, which saved Hannah from tugging Tammy in for a kiss. She settled for a squeeze of Tammy’s hand, hoping she would understand how much she wished she could do more right then. 

“Mom, you’re awake!” Naomi’s face lit up when she registered Hannah smiling down at her. 

“Hi, baby,” Hannah said, unable to help herself from running her hand over Naomi’s hair. “Come on up here. Have you been here all night?”

As Naomi settled herself next to her on the hospital bed, Hannah felt Tammy quietly pull her hand away. She sent Tammy one last smile as she excused herself from the room to give Hannah time with her daughter. She mouthed a quick “thank you” to her girlfriend before letting herself get absorbed by Naomi’s presence.

She really was so thankful. She didn’t want to miss a second of what her kid had to say.

* * *

“Ugh, do I really have to do all that paperwork _ now _?” Tammy asked as she climbed out of the back seat of Pride’s SUV, hearing Sebastian getting out from the other side. 

Pride chuckled as he and LaSalle shut the front doors of the car. “Unfortunately, yes, Gregorio,” he said. “Patton’s already here working on his. We all have to since Hannah’s shooting hit the news.”

“Hannah’s going to be fine.” LaSalle draped an arm around Tammy once he rounded the car. “The docs said she could go home as early as this afternoon.”

“Exactly, so we should be there helping her home,” Tammy insisted grumpily. They crossed the street toward the field office, LaSalle all but herding Tammy along. 

LaSalle couldn’t help his laughter at her words. “Think about it this way. We’re helping Hannah not have to come back to a pile of paperwork. Now won’t that be nice?”

Shrugging in resignation, Tammy let herself be ushered into the field office. All thoughts of paperwork flew out the window, however, when she saw a visibly upset Jennie Covington standing in the middle of the room. 

“Jennie, what are you doing here?” she asked, stepping out from under LaSalle’s arm. She was all too aware of the three agents flanking her, and saw Patton wheel himself in from his office at the other side of the room. 

The blonde uncrossed her arms and walked over to Tammy, throwing the newspaper into the profiler’s hands. Tammy looked down and saw the headline: NCIS Agent Shot During Successful Weapons Ring Bust. “George told me about you and Hannah as soon as he saw the news this morning.” Her voice shook with suppressed anger, but there was a look in her eyes that also told Tammy what she mostly felt was betrayed. “So I guess I should find a new designer for Edgar’s office,” she spat. 

Tammy couldn’t tamp down the guilt that rose up in her throat. Jennie was right to feel hurt. She was nothing but sweet and friendly to them, and while she thought she was making new friends, they were investigating her world. After her glimpse into that echelon of society, Tammy could imagine real friends were hard to come by. “Jennie, I’m sorry you had to find out this way. I can explain--”

“Save it,” Jennie laughed harshly. “I’ve got to hand it to you. You and Hannah were _ damn _ convincing. Did you mean for me to walk in on you both so many times?” She didn’t wait for an answer, which was just as well because Tammy was too busy trying to keep breathing as she realized what Jennie’d just revealed to the whole team. “I don’t understand why you needed to befriend me to get to George.” 

“I--,” Tammy stopped short, glancing at Pride to make sure it was okay to tell Jennie. Pride nodded, staying admirably stoic despite hearing Tammy and Hannah had done more than _ pretend _ to be a couple. She looked back at Jennie, who had settled into an indignant simmer now that she’d gotten the initial confrontation out of her system. Tammy extended a hand to the kitchen. “If you want to sit, I can tell you everything now. You deserve to know.”

Jennie allowed herself to be ushered into the kitchen. Tammy signaled for her to sit while she got two glasses down from the cupboard. After she filled them up with water, she joined the blonde at the table. “About a month ago now,” she started, “a young sailor went missing from his deployment. When we looked into his disappearance we realized he’d been taken because he’d happened upon that weapons ring, and that they were obtaining military-grade weapons from his navy ship.”

“And how did that lead to you two investigating my life?”

“We realized they were being funded by your charity fund,” Tammy said, watching as the confusion morphed into indignance. 

“There’s absolutely _ no _ way Edgar or I would _ ever _ use our charity to fund anything other than to help rebuild Clearwater,” Jennie sputtered.

Tammy nodded. “We came to that same conclusion after spending some time with you, but the fact was that the only evidence we had was directly linking the Covington charitable foundation to that weapons ring.” She placed a hand on Jennie’s arm, stilling her when she was about to clearly insist on their innocence once again. “It’s why we had to keep investigating. When you caught Hannah and I--the first time--in Edgar’s office, we were looking for his version of the financial records. They didn’t match the bank records.”

Jennie shook her head. “I-I don’t understand. Edgar’s meticulous with his records.”

“By then, we’d met the Henleys at your party, and we realized the money was being rerouted from the bank without your knowledge.” Tammy could see the wheels turning in Jennie’s head. Clearly, George Henley had left out _ key _ parts of the story when he “came clean” to Jennie this morning. “We needed to stay undercover to get through to George, but after that dinner at your house, Hannah’s and my interactions with you and Edgar were _ purely _ social. We weren’t investigating you anymore.”

“The banquet?”

“Social. We were enjoying ourselves.”

Jennie chuckled dryly. “Oh, _ I _ know you were enjoying yourselves.” Some of the anger left her voice. “So you _ didn’t _ mean for me to walk in on you both of those times.”

Tammy usually prided herself on keeping her composure, but she couldn’t force down the blush that she felt blooming on her face. “Absolutely not. We shouldn’t have been doing that. The first time was really just a way to explain why we were in Edgar’s office, but the second time...we got too close on this case.”

“That was real?” Jennie looked around at the other agents still milling in the main office. “Did I just get you in a lot of trouble?”

Shrugging, Tammy still felt her face burning. “Probably, but Hannah and I had planned on telling them after the case was over anyway.” She shook herself free of the embarrassment and made herself focus on Jennie again. “Listen, I’m so sorry that we had to invade your privacy the way we did. I know what it’s like to feel conned by someone you thought you could trust, and I’m sorry to have made you feel that way.”

Jennie flashed the agent a grateful smile before looking down at her phone. Tammy could see unopened texts from George Henley on the lock screen. “Hannah’s not here. She was the agent who got shot right?” Tammy nodded. “Is she ok?”

“She will be, yeah,” Tammy answered. 

“Thank you for the apology. I’m more disappointed than anything.” Jennie looked back up at Tammy, her smile now strained. “I liked you two. It’s not easy making friends in my circle.”

“For what it’s worth, we liked you, too.”

* * *

Doing her best not to choke on her slightly-too-hot tea as Tammy detailed the events of Jennie’s visit to NCIS, Hannah shifted uncomfortably on her couch. After Ryan and Naomi helped her home and headed back to his, Hannah passed the time until Tammy finished up at the office by falling deeply asleep for hours. Now, as the profiler informed her that the whole office now knew they’d broken protocol and likely exposed Hannah to disciplinary action by being involved with her subordinate, all she wanted to do was crawl back under her throw blanket and go back to her slumber. “What did Pride say?” she asked, her voice filled with trepidation.

Tammy sat down next to her, moving Hannah’s legs and placing them on her lap. “Nothing,” she shrugged. “The man’s pretty good at pretending not to hear things when it suits him.”

“Really? He said nothing?” Hannah let one hand leave her mug and find Tammy’s arm, pulling on it so she could get a hold of her hand. “Jennie Covington _ told _ him that she’d walked in on us, and he just pretends nothing happened?”

Lips curling up into a smile that told Hannah the other woman was not in the least bit surprised, Tammy let her fingers tangle with Hannah’s. “I think it’s his way of letting us tell him when we’re ready.”

“Did anyone else comment on it?” 

Tammy shook her head. “Everyone else pretty much followed Pride’s lead, but Patton did send me a wink before he left. I have no doubt I’ll get an earful from Sebastian when I’m back at his house.” She looked over at Hannah, squeezing her hand. “How are you doing?” 

Hannah couldn’t help her small pout at the mention of Tammy leaving. “Less well now that you’re talking about moving out.”

“Hannah, I know you,” Tammy said. Her free hand rubbed Hannah’s leg reassuringly. “We started out so intensely, but now that the case is over, you’re going to want to feel something normal. I’ll move back to Sebastian’s, and we’ll _ date _. I don’t want you feeling you got swept up in a whirlwind later on.”

“Some people say being swept up in a whirlwind is romantic,” Hannah said sullenly, putting aside her tea so she could tug Tammy sideways. Tammy slid to her right, her shoulder stopping just short of landing on Hannah’s broken ribs, her face now close enough that Hannah could look down and see the freckles on her nose. She loved those freckles, but she knew, _ infuriatingly _, Tammy had a point. 

Tammy’s voice grew softer. “You’d say being swept up is letting yourself go, that that’s how you end up in bad situations.” The hand on Hannah’s leg slid up to her cheek, thumb stroking softly. “I don’t ever want to be a bad situation for you.”

The kiss that followed her words was as soft as her voice, and Hannah’s eyelids fell shut as she drank in the feeling of Tammy. She tugged on Tammy’s shirt to pull her closer. Tammy, ever conscious of Hannah’s injuries, maneuvered herself so she was on her knees, hovering over Hannah as the kiss deepened. Breaking the kiss once it felt like her pounding heart aggravated her ribs too much, Hannah gazed up at her girlfriend. “Okay, I get it, but only if you come over _ a lot _ and continue doing that.”

Laughing, Tammy dipped her head once again. “Deal,” she whispered against Hannah’s lips. 

_ Fin. _


End file.
